In 2023-2024, Rakuten Viber blocked nearly 40,000 scammers and spammers on its platform. Thanks to continuous monitoring and user reports, the number of fake accounts has decreased. However, the report stated that cybercriminals continue to improve their tactics to take over user accounts. 24 Channels.

How does the scam work?

The scheme involves fraudsters sending messages or making phone calls pretending to be representatives of well-known services or companies such as banks, mobile operators or online listing platforms.

Scammers then ask the user to “enter the SMS code” under the pretext of checking registration, verifying an account, or activating a new mobile tariff plan.

Unbeknownst to the user, this SMS code is required to activate the Viber account on a new device. If the user shares the code, the fraudster takes control of the Viber account.

Latest wave of scams on OLX

In the fall of 2024, scammers often disguised their messages as messages from the popular online marketplace OLX. Users who recently advertised on the platform received direct messages inviting them to continue the discussion on Viber or send photos of the mentioned products.

Users then received messages via Viber or SMS containing a code purportedly from OLX. Sending this code gave the fraudster access to the user’s Viber account.

How do you protect yourself?

Rakuten Viber reminds users of the following important steps to avoid becoming a victim of such scams:

• Do not share activation codes and passwords with anyone under any circumstances.
• Block and report suspicious messages. If you received a message from someone who is not in your contact list and you suspect it is a scam, click “Block and report spam” in the Viber app.
• Report suspicious activity to Viber support via the official support page.
• Restrict messages and calls from unknown contacts. Change privacy settings in the app by going to Settings → Privacy → Requests. Here you can restrict message and call requests from unknown users.
• Enable automatic spam checking. Enable this feature in Settings → Privacy → Automatic spam control.
• Use caller ID (for Android users). Enable this option in Settings → Calls & messages → Caller ID. This feature will flag potential spam calls accordingly.

By following these recommendations, users can protect their Viber accounts from fraudulent activities and avoid falling victim to new fraud schemes.