MCMC probing complaints on WhatsApp accounts being hacked and blocked

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating complaints involving WhatsApp accounts that were allegedly hacked, blocked or rendered inaccessible.

MCMC in an immediate effort to investigate the complaints said it had referred the relevant cases to Meta for clarification and appropriate action.

In a statement today, the commission clarified that account compromise and account blocking were two separate matters.

It said compromised accounts could be taken over by irresponsible parties and subsequently misused for scams, spam or activities that violated WhatsApp's terms of service.

"This may subsequently result in the accounts being blocked by the platform," it said.

MCMC advised affected users to use WhatsApp's official channels to recover or appeal their accounts.

Users were also advised not to share verification codes or security PINs, enable WhatsApp's Two-Step Verification feature and avoid suspicious links or applications.

The commission also urged the public to be cautious of parties offering account recovery services in exchange for money, personal information or verification codes.

"If the issue remains unresolved through WhatsApp's official channels, users may lodge a complaint with MCMC for further action and referral of the case to Meta," it said.

MCMC said it would continue monitoring the matter and engage with the platform to safeguard users' interests.