Whatsapp account theft? Meta sues creators of malicious apps

Despite all the security concerns, WhatsApp has gone to great lengths to ensure that its users are protected. The measures taken are mainly focused on the functionality of the service.

Now the Meta wants to go further and has taken a unique step. He filed a lawsuit and wants to accuse programmers who create applications to extend the functionality of WhatsApp and thus end up stealing user accounts.

Despite all the warnings given almost constantly, many WhatsApp users are betting on alternative apps to give the service even more. This measure is actively opposed by Meta, which even blocks those who use these applications.

To act even more effectively, Meta and WhatsApp are now indicting some programmers in court. They are the creators of apps like "HeyMods", "Highlight Mobi" and "HeyWhatsApp" that are accused of stealing over a million accounts.

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These apps are available on the Play Store and other APK repositories and contain hidden malware that steals user credentials. To do this, when the application is opened, these credentials are requested and then passed to the attackers' central point.

With this data, hackers take over these accounts and use them to spread spam messages and even attempt other attacks. Some of these apps have over 1 million downloads on the Android Play Store and promise themes and new features for WhatsApp.

This situation is not new and WhatsApp has already warned about it before. Its CEO, Will Cathcart, has previously warned about this behavior and attempts by WhatsApp and Meta to block these apps in the future. Recommends downloading these applications from safe sources.

In this lawsuit, Meta claims that the programmers actually violated its rules, although the jurisdiction is unclear. The complaint alleges that the companies are organized under the laws of three different regions: Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan, which may complicate the process.