Bengaluru: A 42-year-old homemaker from Bengaluru’s MV Layout has filed a cybercrime complaint after her WhatsApp account was allegedly hacked and morphed obscene videos were circulated through a WhatsApp group.
According to police, the woman noticed multiple attempts to gain access to her WhatsApp account before it was eventually compromised.
Morphed videos shared after account takeover
The incident came to light on June 22, when the woman’s husband discovered that obscene morphed videos were being shared from her WhatsApp account in one of the messaging platform’s groups.
After checking the account, the family found that an unidentified person had gained unauthorised access and was using it to circulate the objectionable content.
The couple subsequently approached the cybercrime police, who registered a case and launched an investigation.
Case registered under IT Act
Police have registered a case under Sections 67, 66, 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, relating to publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form, computer-related offences, identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources.
Officials said efforts are underway to trace those responsible for hacking the account and sharing the morphed content.
Police advise users to strengthen WhatsApp security
Cybercrime officials have urged WhatsApp users to adopt basic security measures to reduce the risk of account compromise. These include:
- Enable two-step verification in WhatsApp settings.
- Create a strong PIN and never share it with anyone.
- Restrict profile photo visibility to “My Contacts” to prevent image misuse.
- Regularly review the Linked Devices section and remove any unfamiliar or inactive devices.
Police have urged the public to immediately report suspicious login attempts or unauthorised account activity to the cybercrime helpline.