My WhatsApp got taken over, how do I get it back?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: What to do if you got scammed →
WhatsApp takeovers are almost always reversible within minutes because the account is tied to your phone number. The trick that stole it was a message pushing you to a lookalike host like whatsapp-verify-secure.example and to hand over the 6-digit registration code. Reinstall WhatsApp, re-register your number to receive a fresh code, and turn on two-step verification.
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
This preys on everyday users who trust a message that looks like it's from WhatsApp, and on people whose contacts can be pressured for money once the impostor is inside. It works because the six-digit code feels like a routine verification, so victims forward it without realizing they're handing over their whole account.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Recognize the tell: WhatsApp never asks you to share your registration code, and never links to a host like whatsapp-verify-secure.example.
- Reopen WhatsApp and enter your own number, receiving the SMS code logs the attacker out automatically.
- If a 6-digit two-step PIN blocks you, wait out the timer or use WhatsApp's stolen-account help page.
- Check for linked devices under Settings > Linked Devices and remove any you didn't add.
Common questions
The scammer is messaging my contacts, what do I do?
Tell your contacts on another channel not to send money or codes, then re-register your number immediately, regaining the account cuts off the impostor.
I already sent them the code, is it too late?
No. Because control follows the SIM, re-registering your number with a new code logs the attacker out, even if they got in briefly.
Why does registering my number kick them out?
WhatsApp only allows one active registration per number, so when the real SIM re-verifies, any other session is invalidated.
How do I lock it down afterward?
Set a two-step verification PIN so a stolen SMS code alone isn't enough, and never share a code someone "needs" from you.
If you already responded
- Reinstall WhatsApp and register your own phone number to receive the verification code by SMS.
- Enter that code to reclaim the account and force the attacker's session offline.
- If prompted for an unknown two-step PIN, follow WhatsApp's official stolen-account recovery page to reset it.
- Turn on two-step verification and review Linked Devices, removing anything unfamiliar.
- No legitimate recovery service cold-calls you or charges a fee, a "WhatsApp agent" asking for money or a code is the scam continuing.
If you were already hit, expect a follow-up
One more thing to expect: after a scam, your details often land on lists that get reused, so you may be contacted again, sometimes by people posing as investigators, your bank's "fraud team," or "recovery agents" who promise to get your money back for an upfront fee. That follow-up is a second scam. No legitimate service charges a fee to recover funds.
Source: WhatsApp, Stolen account
Hunch is not affiliated with WhatsApp. WhatsApp is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real WhatsApp does not send these messages.