<ul><li>Cryptocurrency scammers are using bots on <keyword id="1275203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telegram" source="Orion">Telegram</keyword> to con investors into giving up their one-time-passwords (OTPs).</li><li>The hackers use the OTPs to lock the original users out of their account and then steal their holdings.</li><li>The bots are available for sale on Telegram too for around $300 per month.</li></ul>First they got into emails, then onto WhatsApp, and now Telegram is the latest playing field for cryptocurrency scammers. Bots on the messaging platform are being tasked with getting investors to reveal their two factor authentication, which is then being used by hackers to log into the account, lock out the original users and then clean the house. Rather than having to socially engineer elaborate conversations over phone or messages, the OTP bots automate the entire process so that it can be done at scale. This means more attacks — and more victims. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="wazirx" comment="wazirx" text="wazirx">wazirx</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The growing threat of Telegram bots" comment="subhead" text="The growing threat of Telegram bots">The growing threat of Telegram bots</cmsannotation> These bots normally parade around pretending to be a help channel, according to a report by digital threat detection firm <a href="https://q6cyber.com/blog/otp_bots_are_a_growing_threat/">Q6 Cyber</a>. It highlights that, not only are bots a growing threat, but that the damage they inflict is difficult to quantify. And, they’re for sale even if you’re not a coder. An investigation by <a href="https://intel471.com/blog/otp-password-bots-telegram">Intel471</a> revealed that a user only needs to pay a monthly fee of $300 in order to obtain the authentication code required to operate one of these bots. For another $20 to $100, they could have access to live phishing panels, which come ready with a list of possible targets — like users that confirmed members of <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/10/how-coinbase-phishers-steal-one-time-passwords/">Coinbase</a>. <div type="ExtQuote" text="While SMS- and phone-call-based OTP services are better than nothing, criminals have found ways to socially engineer their way around the safeguards." auname="Excerpt from a report by Intel471 dated September 2021"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Crime-as-a-service" comment="subhead" text="Crime-as-a-service">Crime-as-a-service</cmsannotation> In July, last year, Indian crypto exchange ZebPay sent an alert out to its users warning them of a fake support group on Telegram trying to steal OTPs from users. <div type="twitter" handle="zebpay" handlename="ZebPay" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1233395047678087173/y3JN34wt_normal.jpg" favoritecount="16" retweetcount="2" status="Scam Alert!There is a scam attempt going on the telegram in name of ZebPay Support.ZebPay will never ask you ask… https://t.co/w6DEM27Tbl" createdat="1595937488000" id="1288081301069692930"></div> The automated process of stealing information for users has given birth to a new underground industry — crime as a service. For an engineer, he doesn’t need to get his hands dirty — just provide the bot. And, for a thief, they longer necessarily need to have the technical know-how to steal things online. The creative ways in which hackers are trying to steal digital currencies is on the rise, even with the prices of tokens being in the doldrums since the start of the year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/russia-ukraine-conflict-continues-to-play-havoc-on-crypto-prices/slidelist/89631693.cms">Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to play havoc on crypto prices</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tata-motors-wipro-tcs-nestle-and-other-hot-stocks-on-february-17/slidelist/89630143.cms">Tata Motors, Wipro, TCS, Nestle and other hot stocks on February 17</a>

Telegram is the crypto hackers’ newest playground — and they have automated the process

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) WhatsApp's closest rival Telegram on Friday launched a slew of new features including in-app Video Editor, two-step verification, animated stickers, speaking GIFs and more. The video enhancement feature will enable users to tweak videos in two taps with dozens of parameters like saturation, brightness with a zoom-in option while drawing. Animated stickers can now be added to the photos and videos while editing which can later turn into GIFs, as well. The app has also added new attractive speaking GIFs for user chat experience enhancement. From a data security perspective, Telegram said in a statement that it has introduced Two-step verification for their users. Simply anyone can click on the Privacy and Security option to enable this Two-step verification security lock. Users need to set-up a new password by entering it twice followed a password hint. Now onward if this Two-step authentication password is enabled on a given account, anyone trying to log-in from a new device that person needs to know the password, along with the OTP Telegram messenger has also provided a new Cache memory management tool directly to clean-up the storage as per the user requirement. Users can also select on a scale from when they want to keep their previous data ranging from three days to forever. This will only delete unassessed files which can also be re-downloaded later from the Telegram cloud. A user can also clear the local data base where texts of cached messages will be compressed to save space on the internal disk. --IANS wh/na

WhatsApp rival Telegram adds new enhancement features

<ul><li>The Indian government has refuted that there has been a direct breach from its <keyword id="17689208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cowin-database" source="Orion">CoWIN database</keyword> that was used for <keyword id="9257042" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-vaccination" source="Orion">COVID vaccination</keyword>.</li><li>The data leak, reported on June 12, is from an earlier <keyword id="608402" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="data-breach" source="Orion">data breach</keyword>, says the government.</li><li>The Union Minister has clarified the situation on Twitter.</li></ul> The Indian government has swung into action after reports about a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/covid-19-vaccination-data-reportedly-leaked-id-proof-date-of-birth-and-other-details-available-on-telegram/articleshow/100931799.cms"> data breach</a> from the <keyword id="10440405" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cowin" source="Orion">CoWIN</keyword> database came to light. The government has said that it “does not appear” that the CoWIN app and database have been “directly breached”. CloudSEK, an AI <keyword id="17689209" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-risk-management" source="Orion">digital risk management</keyword> company has released a <a href="https://www.cloudsek.com/threatintelligence/cowin-data-leak-claim-and-cloudsek-analysis">report</a> which agrees with the government’s claim that the leak is not new. <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword>, the union minister of state for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology took to Twitter to clarify the government’s stand on the <keyword id="13005926" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="cowin-data-leak" source="Orion">CoWIN data leak</keyword> issue. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Data leak from a previous breach?" comment="subhead" text="Data leak from a previous breach?">Data leak from a previous breach?</cmsannotation> Chandrasekhar in his tweet mentioned that the data being used by the Telegram bot is from a threat actor database, which is being populated using previously stolen data. To recall, data of over 20,000 people, including their name, mobile number, Covid-19 test result and their address was<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/data-meant-for-cowin-portal-leaked-online-over-20-000-indians-likely-affected-101642767559692.html"> reportedly</a> leaked in 2022. In another instance, data of over 15 crore citizens was<a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/article/cowin-apps-covid-19-vaccination-data-of-15-crore-users-leaked-and-up-for-sale-government-denies-breach/769434"> reportedly</a> leaked in 2021 and the hackers put the data on sale. The government however refuted the claim and said that the CoWIN platform was never hacked. Interestingly, the government had so far not confirmed a data breach and has only now confirmed that there was a breach in the past, without revealing any information about the extent of the breach or the cause. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="API exists to pull data without OTP" comment="subhead" text="API exists to pull data without OTP">API exists to pull data without OTP</cmsannotation> The government in a<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1931691"> press release</a> has said that while there are no public APIs (application programming interface) to pull CoWIN data without an OTP, there are APIs, which have been shared with third parties such as ICMR that can pull data from CoWIN with just the phone number, similar to what we have seen on the Telegram bot. The government however claims that requests are accepted only from a trusted API. “There are some APIs which have been shared with third parties such as ICMR for sharing data. It is reported that one such API has a feature of sharing the data by calling using just a mobile number of Aadhaar. However, even this API is very specific and the requests are only accepted from a trusted API which has been white-listed by the Co-WIN application.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Expert take" comment="subhead" text="Expert take">Expert take</cmsannotation> CloudSEK, which provides AI digital risk management solutions has analysed the telegram bot using XVigil, its AI digital risk platform. As per its analysis, the hacker does not have access to the CoWIN platform or its backend database. “Based on matching fields from Telegram data and previously reported incidents affecting Healthworker of a region, we assume the information was scraped through these compromised credentials,” CloudSEK said in its report. According to the company, the data is from a 2022 leak wherein a Russian cybercrime forum offered compromised access to the CoWIN platform for the Tamil Nadu region. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ikio-lighting-ipo-how-to-check-allotment-status-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/100939900.cms">IKIO Lighting IPO - How to check allotment status, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/covid-19-vaccination-data-reportedly-leaked-id-proof-date-of-birth-and-other-details-available-on-telegram/articleshow/100931799.cms">Covid-19 vaccination data reportedly leaked – ID proof, date of birth and other details available on Telegram</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a>

Cyber security group’s AI analysis supports theory that CoWIN data leak not new

<ul><li><keyword id="65866" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="irctc" source="Orion">IRCTC</keyword> has warned users about a fake Android app and website that tries to steal sensitive information from users looking to book tickets for their next journey. </li><li>The fake app and website look eerily like the original, which makes it difficult for end users to distinguish between the two. </li><li>The fake <keyword id="6503826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="irctc-app" source="Orion">IRCTC app</keyword> for Android smartphones goes by the name ‘irctcconnect.apk’ and is being circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram. </li></ul>IRCTC has warned users about a fake Android app and website that tries to steal sensitive information from users looking to book tickets for their next journey. The fake app and website look eerily like the original, which makes it difficult for end users to distinguish between the two. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is a state-owned service that allows users to book rail, air, bus and hotel tickets. The fake IRCTC app for Android smartphones goes by the name ‘irctcconnect.apk’ and is being circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram. Given that it’s very trivial for Android users to manually install an app using an apk file, IRCTC had to issue an advisory to warn users about the fake app. The fake IRCTC app used by hackers to target passengers also has an accompanying website – https://irctc.creditmobile.site – which looks to have been blocked now. “Fraudsters’ aim is to get sensitive net banking credentials, including UPI details and credit/debit card information, from victims who fall prey to the smishing attack,” the IRCTC warning said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Android safety 101" comment="subhead" text="Android safety 101">Android safety 101</cmsannotation> One of the easiest ways of staying safe while using an Android device is by not clicking on unknown links or installing apps from unknown sources. <ul><li>Newer versions of Android require users to allow app installation from unknown sources to be enabled on a per-app basis. Users are recommended to always install apps from official sources like the Google Play store. </li><li>While clicking on links, ensure that you can determine their authenticity. If you cannot directly verify this, it is recommended that you search for the company’s website. Popular search engines like Google or Bing usually surface the official website as the top search results, so that is another way to make sure to verify the authenticity. </li><li>One of the most common vectors of stealing information and phishing attacks is via one-time passwords – if you receive an OTP without having requested it, simply ignore it and never share it with anyone. </li><li>Users are also recommended to always keep their apps and software up to date. </li><li>Android smartphones also come with app verification via a service called ‘Play Protect’. It is enabled by default, but it is worth ensuring that it is on and running. </li><li>Lastly, always be cautious with app permissions – only grant necessary permissions and avoid giving access to sensitive information or features unless absolutely required. </li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/sbi-hul-tcs-kotak-bank-and-hdfc-and-other-big-companies-ceo-will-change-in-next-12-months/articleshow/99574790.cms">Companies with $465 billion in combined market cap to see a CEO change in the next 12 months: Here’s what investors should do</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/hdfc-hdfc-bank-merger-to-bring-inflows-of-up-to-3-billion-all-eyes-now-on-the-merger/articleshow/99557243.cms">HDFC-HDFC Bank merger to bring foreign inflows of up to $3 billion</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-shares-tank-after-a-disappointing-q4-fy23-performance/articleshow/99548980.cms">Infosys shares tank over 9% post a disappointing Q4, analysts caution demand moderation ahead</a>

IRCTC warns of fake app and website scamming users out of their sensitive information—here’s how to stay safe

<ul><li><keyword id="15306772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chinese-scammers" source="Orion">Chinese scammers</keyword> found a new way to hack into your personal information.</li><li><keyword id="386981" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scammers" source="Orion">Scammers</keyword> are using a new type of adware targeting prominent brands and tricking their customers into fraudulent and phishing scams.</li><li>Here’s how you can stay safe.</li></ul>If you have received social media links to websites that offer or promise free Diwali gifts, then that website is most likely trying to steal your personal information such as bank account details, contact number, address, Aaadhar card number, and more. According to Cert-in, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, recent <a href="https://cert-in.org.in/">advisory</a>, a new type of adware are targeting prominent brand and tricking its customers into fraudulent and phishing scams. Fake messages are been circulating on various social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, and SMS. These messages falsely claim a festive offer luring users into gift links and prizes. This new type of scam mostly targets women and asks to share the link among peers on Telegram/ WhatsApp/ Instagram accounts, said the CERT-In in the advisory. The national cybersecurity agency also said that most of these websites use Chinese (.cn) domains, including (.xyz, .top) extensions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How does this scam work?" comment="subhead" text="How does this scam work?">How does this scam work?</cmsannotation> The victim receives a message containing a link to a scam website similar to the websites of popular brands. Also, the link could come from other victims who have been asked to share the link with their friends and family. Once the user clicks on the link, they are greeted by a false congratulatory message. After this, users are asked to fill in details in a questionnaire to claim their free gift. In the questionnaire, the attacker entices the user to give sensitive information like personal details like bank details, passwords, and OTPs. After a victim fills in the questionnaire, they are asked to select a gift from a set of items. Once a user does that, they are greeted by another false congratulations message. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Compromised websites" comment="subhead" text="Compromised websites">Compromised websites</cmsannotation> hXXp://balancesynthesize[.]cn/ XXp://deadlineconserve[.]cn/ hXXp://noticeablerefute[.]cn/ hXXps://8yue22[.]cn/ hxXps://talentIlL.]top/ <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to avoid this scam" comment="subhead" text="How to avoid this scam">How to avoid this scam</cmsannotation> <ul><li>To avoid such scams, do not browse through un-trusted websites or click on un-trusted links and be cautious while clicking on links by any unsolicited emails and SMSs. </li><li>Only click on links or URLs that indicate a clear website domain. When in doubt, you can search for the organization’s website directly to ensure that websites are legitimate or not.</li><li>Always remember, legitimate websites will never ask for your bank login information or bank card information by email or SMS. If you receive such a request, you are mostly dealing with threats.</li><li>Keep your personal information safe, attackers can use social media profiles to gather information and make targeted attacks against you.</li><li>Make sure your passwords are strong, and personal information such as credit card numbers and bank login details are not shared with anyone.</li><li>Download apps only from Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.</li><li>Set transaction limits for cards, UPI accounts, and other financial transactions to reduce funds’ exposure.</li><li>Don’t click on pop-up ads.</li><li>Last but not least, never share an OTP with anyone.</li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/soon-you-might-be-able-to-touch-and-feel-the-online-products-through-your-smartphone/articleshow/94961160.cms">Soon you might be able to touch and feel the online products through your smartphone</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/with-303-vulnerabilities-google-chrome-is-the-riskiest-browser-of-2022-atlas-vpn/articleshow/94673834.cms">With 303 vulnerabilities, Google Chrome is the riskiest browser of 2022: Atlas VPN</a>

Here’s how to stay safe from Chinese scammers releasing malicious Diwali-themed campaigns targeting Indians

<ul><li>88% of the <keyword id="7964423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fake-customer-care" source="Orion">fake customer care</keyword> numbers were distributed via Facebook advertisements. </li><li>Entities in the banking and finance sectors were the primary targets of impersonation. </li><li>There have been instances where a customer lost as much as ₹16 lakh due to a <keyword id="6912356" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fake-customer-care-number" source="Orion">fake customer care number</keyword>, <keyword id="6269615" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cloudsek" source="Orion">CloudSEK</keyword> said.</li></ul>When we face any difficulty regarding a product or service, we tend to automatically reach out to the customer service department for a resolution. However, fake customer service calling numbers set up by fraudsters to deceive customers are thriving, as per a report by CloudSEK, an AI company that predicts cyberthreats. XVigil’s (CloudSEK’s risk monitoring platform) Fake Customer Care module has flagged 31,179 such fraudulent numbers, with many of them having been active for over 2 years. The findings show that about 56% (i.e. 17,285) of these were Indian numbers, while the rest were non-Indian. Further, 80% of the Indian numbers were found to be valid and still operational. Analysis of the content present on the source domains associated with each number also showed that entities in the banking and finance sectors (39.4%) were the primary targets of impersonation, followed by those in the telecommunication(31.2%) and healthcare sectors(9.9%). This is an apt modern-day phishing technique, which builds around the trust created in solving customer queries and deceives people into revealing sensitive information, allowing the fraudsters to steal user data. In its report, CloudSEK researchers have analysed a sample of around 20,000 Indian mobile numbers used by fraudsters to run such customer care scams. It found that none of the major telecom carriers, which have vast network connectivity, have been spared by scammers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice" comment="subhead" text="Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice">Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice</cmsannotation> Such fake numbers are disseminated predominantly by social media channels. About 88% (15,271) of the fake customer care numbers were distributed via Facebook advertisements, posts, profiles, and pages. Out of the remaining 12% of the numbers, Twitter emerged as the most popular distribution medium, accounting for 6.2% of the total traffic. Twitter was followed by Google. Despite Facebook claiming to have taken down close to 2 billion fake accounts per quarter, scammers continue to flood Facebook with fake profiles and pages. Social media continues to be the preferred medium for scammers to trick people because it allows them to reach a large user base in a short period. To create an impression of authenticity, scammers frequently include a brief introduction and links to their social media accounts or posts alongside the counterfeit customer support numbers. However, a closer examination of these links reveals that they typically lead users to fake domains and fraudulent Whatsapp or Telegram accounts; and sometimes even the email addresses are fake. Scammers leverage social media accounts to lure customers to call on fake customer numbers, visit phishing sites and send emails from their personal accounts, thus compromising their email IDs. The unwary users search for customer care numbers and may end up calling a fake customer care number. When customers call these fake call centres, the scamsters use this opportunity to retrieve financial information, OTP, etc., from aggrieved customers via social engineering methods – which refers to techniques used illegitimately to manipulate people to perform certain actions or reveal specific information. Generally, scammers try to leverage impersonation and the fear factor to collect money from the victims. Thereafter, the threat actors gain access to the victim’s bank account and purchase gift cards, etc, or transfer the amount to another account. There have been instances where a customer lost as much as ₹16 lakh due to a wrong google search leading to a fake customer care number, CloudSEK said. Fake customer care numbers have been thriving under the cyber radar purely because people tend to be ignorant while engaging with customer care numbers.

Callers beware! Over 31,000 fake customer care numbers are out there to scam you

<ul><li>The CoWIN, UMANG and Aarogya Setu mobile apps have crashed as India opens up the vaccine registrations for everyone above the age of 18.</li><li>The <keyword id="10849396" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cowin-website">CoWIN website</keyword> is still sending out OTPs.</li><li>Even if you manage to register on the CoWIN website, finding a slot may prove to be difficult.</li></ul>If you’re above the age of 18 years and trying to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in India today, on April 28, you may be fresh out of luck. The CoWIN mobile app along with alternative methods to register — the UMANG and Aarogya Setu mobile apps — crashed the moment registrations opened up at 4 p.m. The CoWIN website wasn’t sending out one-time-passwords (OTPs) initially either, but was back up in action within minutes. However, that’s about all the good news that there is. In order to get your OTP, you need to go to the main CoWIN portal, click on the registration button, enter your phone number. The OTP that you get on your phone will be valid for three minutes. <div type="image" title="IMG-20210428-WA0010" msid="82291617" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;OTP generated from the CoWIN website&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess if you’ll able to get a slot or even complete your registration. Some users are reporting that they are not available to select photo ID type or gender after putting in the OTP. And, entering the information in these slots is compulsory in order to complete the process. <div type="image" title="cowin" msid="82299370" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BI India was unable to select the drop down menus for &amp;#39;Photo ID Proof&amp;#39; and &amp;#39;Gender&amp;#39;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Even then, registering yourself only gets you in through the door. Finding a slot is a whole other matter. And they seem to be in short supply. While you may see a couple of slots with appointments available, those appointments are only for those individuals between the ages of 45 and above. No appointment slots seem to be available to those between 18 to 44 years old. <div type="image" title="cowin slots" msid="82291747" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Availability of slots after registration is complete&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> People above the age of 18 looking to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in India have been trying since midnight. Even though the CoWIN channels on social media did not send out any alerts, there was one sent out over Telegram app that the vaccine registration would not be opening up at midnight, but at four in the afternoon instead. <div type="image" title="Screenshot_20210428-083126_edited" msid="82292135" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Message sent over Telegram specifying that registration will open up at 4:00 pm instead of at midnight&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> There is no clarity around the supply of vaccines and the government has been quiet on how it plans to expand its vaccination drive while also addressing the bottlenecks that may occur.

CoWIN website is back up after an early crash⁠ — finding a vaccination slot may still be difficult

<ul><li>You might soon be able to login to your <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> account on multiple devices.</li><li>The feature has been spotted as ‘under development’ in WhatsApp for Desktop beta.</li><li>Earlier last month, WhatsApp CEO had revealed that the company is working on multi-device support.</li></ul> <keyword id="9182391" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp-multi-device">WhatsApp multi-device</keyword> support is inching closer to reality, with the feature being spotted in the latest desktop beta. This feature has been in the works for several months now, and now it seems that the Facebook-owned messaging service is finally getting ready to roll it out. According to a spotting by <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/spotted-the-whatsapp-for-desktop-beta-with-multi-device-compatibility/">WABetaInfo</a> – which tracks upcoming WhatsApp features – the beta version of the desktop client has been updated with the code for multi-device support, but it is still being developed. This means that the feature has not been enabled yet, so you will have to wait for it, for now. <div type="image" title="WhatsApp multi-device support" msid="84337918" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A screenshot of WhatsApp for Desktop beta&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Earlier in June, WhatsApp’s chief executive officer (CEO) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-to-soon-introduce-voice-and-video-calls-for-web-multi-device-support-jiomart-integration-and-more/articleshow/80398791.cms">confirmed that three new features</a> are going to be made available soon. The list includes multi-device support, apart from voice and video calls on the web, and JioMart integration. Understandably, the multi-device feature is the most difficult of the three – voice calls on the web are already available, and JioMart integration is live, too. Once live, WhatsApp for Desktop will allow users to log in on a new device by clicking on the ‘Link a new device’ button. Currently, WhatsApp does not allow users to use the same account on different devices, a feature that has been available for quite some time on Telegram. Telegram allows users to log into a secondary device by sending a one-time password (OTP) to the first device, apart from allowing users to sign in by scanning QR codes – as WhatsApp does. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="WhatsApp to soon let you send high quality photos and videos" comment="subhead" text="WhatsApp to soon let you send high quality photos and videos">WhatsApp to soon let you send high quality photos and videos</cmsannotation> WhatsApp is expanding its feature-set by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-app-is-working-on-high-quality-images-and-videos/articleshow/84262585.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">adding an option</a> to send high quality photos and videos. Once live, the feature will let users choose between best quality and data saver. This would let you send better quality photos and videos, so you don’t have to worry about WhatsApp compression ruining them. For now, a workaround to send high quality photos and videos is by choosing the ‘Document’ option while uploading. This prevents WhatsApp from compressing the media. However, you might not have to do it for long, if these upload options pass WhatsApp’s tests and are added to a future update. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-app-is-working-on-high-quality-images-and-videos/articleshow/84262585.cms">WhatsApp is working on new image and video quality options</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-app-is-adding-a-new-feature-to-help-you-replace-snapchat-completely/articleshow/83226216.cms">WhatsApp rips off another Snapchat feature — this time Disappearing Mode</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-to-soon-introduce-voice-and-video-calls-for-web-multi-device-support-jiomart-integration-and-more/articleshow/80398791.cms">WhatsApp to soon introduce voice and video calls for Web, multi-device support, JioMart integration and more</a>

WhatsApp multi-device support inches closer, spotted in desktop beta version

<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> is working on a new feature to help you automatically verify your account.</li><li>This feature is called Flash Calls and it allows WhatsApp to verify your account login by calling your phone number.</li><li>This feature is used by the popular caller identification app Truecaller.</li></ul>WhatsApp could soon call you to verify your account with a new method called flash calls. When you switch to this method, you will no longer have to manually enter the 6-digit verification code that is sent via an SMS. This feature, called Flash Calls, was spotted by WhatsApp tracker <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-developing-flash-calls-on-whatsapp-for-android/">WABetaInfo</a>, in the latest beta version of the Android app. It is still under development but could become available in a future update. Flash calls for verifying an account or login are not new. For instance, Truecaller, a caller identification app, already uses this method to automatically verify your account. <div type="image" title="WhatsApp flash calls" msid="83301208" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;WhatsApp will verify your account using flash calls.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> According to the post, if you choose the Flash Call verification method, WhatsApp will require permission to make and manage calls, and access your call logs. Alternatively, you can choose to receive a one-time password (OTP) via SMS. WhatsApp automatically detects and verifies your account via this method as well. <keyword id="9182391" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp-multi-device">WhatsApp multi-device</keyword> support is coming soon One of the major additions to WhatsApp coming soon is multi-device support. WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-app-is-adding-a-new-feature-to-help-you-replace-snapchat-completely/articleshow/83226216.cms">revealed</a> that it will be added in “a month or two”. Once this feature is available, you will be able to stay logged in to multiple devices, perhaps like Telegram. But the exact implementation remains to be seen. Disappearing Mode to mimic Snapchat WhatsApp’s Disappearing Mode will turn it into a Snapchat replacement, allowing you to send disappearing messages to all your contacts, instead of turning it on for individual chats. All individual and group chats will have disappearing messages turned on by default once you enable Disappearing Mode. This feature is already available in Facebook Messenger and Instagram called Vanish Mode. Other WhatsApp features under development WhatsApp has added a few other features or is working on them. For instance, some users on WhatsApp beta on Android should start seeing a sticker shortcut next to the smiley button. Other features in the works include <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-to-soon-introduce-voice-and-video-calls-for-web-multi-device-support-jiomart-integration-and-more/articleshow/80398791.cms">voice and video calls on the web</a>, JioMart integration and more. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-app-is-adding-a-new-feature-to-help-you-replace-snapchat-completely/articleshow/83226216.cms">WhatsApp rips off another Snapchat feature — this time Disappearing Mode</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-to-soon-introduce-voice-and-video-calls-for-web-multi-device-support-jiomart-integration-and-more/articleshow/80398791.cms">WhatsApp to soon introduce voice and video calls for Web, multi-device support, JioMart integration and more</a>

WhatsApp could soon call you to verify your account

<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> voice and video calls are now available for some beta users.</li><li>The feature is expected to be rolled out to more users in the coming days.</li><li>WhatsApp is also working on multi-device support, JioMart integration and more.</li></ul>Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp is working on adding a new feature for WhatsApp Web users, allowing them to place voice and video calls right from their computer, improving video calling experience. The two services <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/despite-concerns-zoom-sales-boom-amid-covid-19-pandemic/articleshow/76169526.cms">saw a boom</a> in users during the COVID-19 pandemic due to more people working from home and using video conferencing to connect with the outside world. As per a <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-beta-calls-available-on-whatsapp-web-desktop/">report</a>, some users have started seeing a button for voice calls and video calls on the WhatsApp Web with a ‘beta’ tag. The buttons are being shown in the chat header. <div type="twitter" handle="tomyto" handlename="Guillermo Tomoyose" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/542493695371517954/rbMtVHH3_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="12" retweetcount="3" status="@WABetaInfo this is a new feature for WhatsApp Web? (from Windows 10 app) https://t.co/ntCO2VxJbU" createdat="1611250945000" id="1352310598059618305"></div> The feature was spotted by a Twitter user Guillermo Tomoyose from Argentina. When a user receives or makes a call, a separate pop-up window will open, allowing the user to control the call. Just like mobile, Web users will be able to view their call history in a separate tab. The voice calls and video calls feature is currently in beta and is available to a limited number of users. Do not worry if you haven’t received the feature yet as it will probably be available for more users in the coming days. WhatsApp is currently facing a lot of backlash from users across the world after it announced a controversial <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-will-stop-working-if-you-do-not-agree-to-its-new-terms-and-privacy-policies/articleshow/80127866.cms">privacy policy update</a>. While the company said that the features are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-says-your-privacy-wont-be-affected-if-you-dont-use-these-features/articleshow/80225748.cms">optional</a>, the Indian government has asked the messaging app to withdraw its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-has-reportedly-received-a-stern-message-from-the-indian-government-on-its-new-privacy-policy/articleshow/80344374.cms">privacy policy changes</a>. WhatsApp is also working on several other features, including multi-device support, JioMart integration and offering online insurance services. Let’s look at WhatsApp’s upcoming features. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Multi-device support" comment="subhead" text="Multi-device support">Multi-device support</cmsannotation> WhatsApp is currently working on multi-device support, which will allow users to log in on a new device by clicking on the ‘Link a new device’ button. Currently, WhatsApp does not allow users to use the same account on different devices, a feature that has been available for quite some time on Telegram. Telegram allows users to log into a secondary device by sending an OTP to the first device. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="WhatsApp and JioMart integration" comment="subhead" text="WhatsApp and JioMart integration">WhatsApp and JioMart integration</cmsannotation> Mukesh Ambani-led JioMart is <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/reliance-plans-to-integrate-jiomart-in-whatsapp-within-6-months-1760083-2021-01-18#:~:text=People%20can%20place%20their%20orders,is%20valid%20for%2030%20minutes.">reportedly</a> working on integrating its app with WhatsApp, allowing users to order groceries directly from the messaging app. JioMart is expected to become a mini-app within WhatsApp in the next six months. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Digital insurance" comment="subhead" text="Digital insurance">Digital insurance</cmsannotation> After getting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/whatsapp-pay-upi-services-gets-the-green-signal-from-npci-but-rollout-will-be-in-a-graded-manner/articleshow/79068908.cms">approval</a> from National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to start its payments service in India, the Facebook-owned app is now reportedly looking to offer more financial service and it is <a href="https://inc42.com/buzz/from-loans-to-ecommerce-whatsapps-india-plans-for-2021/">expected</a> to start with micro pensions and digital insurance services. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-has-reportedly-received-a-stern-message-from-the-indian-government-on-its-new-privacy-policy/articleshow/80344374.cms">WhatsApp has been told to withdraw its privacy changes by the Indian government</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-says-your-privacy-wont-be-affected-if-you-dont-use-these-features/articleshow/80225748.cms">WhatsApp says your privacy won't be affected if you don't use these two optional features</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/how-to/how-to-move-whatsapp-groups-to-signal-app/articleshow/80213969.cms">How to move WhatsApp group to Signal app</a>

WhatsApp to soon introduce voice and video calls for Web, multi-device support, JioMart integration and more

<ul><li>The registration for vaccination for those between 18-45 years old opened up finally, on Wednesday, at 4 p.m.</li><li>Servers of the <keyword id="10529896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="coWin-app">CoWIN app</keyword> and website, <keyword id="173550" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Umang">UMANG</keyword> app and Aarogya Setu app crashed.</li><li>Earlier, hundreds of people had stayed up till 12 midnight on Wednesday to register for the app, only to know the vaccination wasn’t opening up until 4 pm.</li></ul>The registration for vaccination for those between 18-45 years old opened up finally, on Wednesday, at 4 p.m. and as expected servers of the CoWIN app and website, UMANG app and Aarogya setu app crashed. However, soon after the Aarogya Setu app started working. Additonally, the CoWIN website worked well for users, instead of the app. <div type="image" title="cowin app" msid="82292082" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The CoWIN app crashed as the registration opened for all at 4 pm&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <div type="image" title="umang app" msid="82292069" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Umang app servers had also crashed at 4 pm&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Users took to Twitter to complain about the servers crashing. Earlier, users had also complained that they weren’t receiving the one time password (OTP) required to login to the apps. Hundreds of people stayed up till 12 a.m. on Wednesday, as anticipation was high for the registration for vaccination for the 18-45 age population to open up, but to their disappointment the message still read “currently registration is allowed for citizens older than 45 years only.” The Indian government had announced that registration for vaccination between 18-45 years old would start through the CoWIN and Aarogya Setu apps at 12 a.m. on April 28. However, through a Telegram channel for MyGov, an update had been sent that registrations would open at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. CoWIN servers down at 4 p.m. due to overwhelming server load The crashing of the server at 4 p.m. due to heavy load didn’t come as a surprise to many. The government servers are not designed to handle a higher number of connections at the same time. When many people try to access the same website, the servers get overstressed and fail to handle requests. In simple words, it's like a lot of people rushing inside a building that has a small entrance that can let only two people in at a time. This comes with poor IT infrastructure to cut costs because server maintenance is an expensive task. This isn't the first time a government-led app has crashed or has faced server issues. For long now, the Indian Railways backed IRCTC has been at the centre point of all jokes for crashing repeatedly.

CoWIN server crashes as thousands of Indians rush to register for COVID-19 vaccination

<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> will soon introduce multi device support and a shortcut for Messenger Rooms.</li><li>Multi device support will allow users to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple devices.</li><li>Messenger Rooms will allow users to start a video call on the Facebook Messenger.</li></ul>Popular messaging app WhatsApp is all set to introduce two new features that will make it easier for users to use the same account on different devices and start video calls on Facebook’s Messenger app. The features were spotted by WABetaInfo in two beta versions of the app. Multi device support was spotted on the <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-beta-for-android-2-20-152-whats-new/">2.20.152</a> version of the app and Messenger Rooms support was spotted on the <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-web-2-2019-6-whats-new/">2.2019.6</a> version. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75601668" title="WhatsApp is touting steps taken to cut the viral spread of coronavirus misinformation, but experts question whether it's done enough" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Multi device support Multi device support is currently being tested and the company has not revealed when the feature will be available on the stable version of the app. Currently, WhatsApp does not allow users to use the same account on different devices, a feature that has been available for quite some time on Telegram. Telegram allows users to log into a secondary device by sending an OTP to the first device. The multi device support is expected to be named as ‘Linked devices’. It will allow users to log in on a new device by clicking on the ‘Link a new device’ button. As per the report, WhatsApp recommends users to use a Wi-Fi connection while using the WhatsApp account on a secondary device. While it’s not clear why mobile data is not recommended, it’s possible that WhatsApp may copy all the messages and media on the new device. Messenger Rooms As people are stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Facebook recently introduced Messenger Rooms that allow users to quickly place a video call and invite your friends with a link. Now, Facebook is reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook/status/1253757982833168385">working</a> on adding a shortcut for Messenger Rooms on WhatsApp. This will allow users to quickly start a video call <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook/status/1253757986398298114">with up to 8 people</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/how-to/how-to-use-ifcns-whatsapp-fact-checker-to-fight-coronavirus-misinformation/articleshow/75546862.cms">How to use IFCN’s WhatsApp fact checker to fight Coronavirus misinformation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/whatsapp-has-reportedly-listed-giving-loans-as-a-main-objective/articleshow/75445825.cms">WhatsApp has reportedly listed giving loans as a ‘main’ objective— and it could be a big feature in Facebook and Reliance Jio’s partnership</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-whatsapp-pay-global-rollout-zuckerberg/articleshow/73760554.cms">WhatsApp Pay to roll out in India and other countries over the next six months: Zuckerberg</a>

WhatsApp's upcoming feature will allow you to open the messenger in many devices at the same time

Facebook-owned <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> is one of the most popular messaging apps for smartphones. It is a feature-rich application and receives regular updates that add new features. However, WhatsApp misses out on an important feature – a dedicated app for computers to use WhatsApp without a smartphone. WhatsApp Web allows you to use WhatsApp on your computer. However, it still requires a smartphone to scan the QR code for authentication and works only if the smartphone is connected to a network. Telegram, one of WhatsApp’s competitors has a dedicated app for PC users. Messenger, which is also owned by Facebook can be used on a computer without a smartphone. If you want to use WhatsApp on your computer, we have a solution for you. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to open WhatsApp without a smartphone" comment="subhead" text="How to open WhatsApp without a smartphone">How to open WhatsApp without a smartphone</cmsannotation> There are several Android emulators available that allow you to install Android apps on your computer. You can use emulators like <a href="https://www.andyroid.net/">Andy</a> or <a href="https://www.bluestacks.com/">BlueStacks</a> to use WhatsApp on your computer. <ul><li>Go to Andy Android Emulator’s website and click on ‘Download’.</li><li>Now, click on the downloaded file to install the emulator.</li><li>Follow the download instructions and provide the required permissions to the emulator.</li><li>Once Andy is installed, double click on the icon to open it.</li><li>Now, search ‘WhatsApp’ in the search box at the top.</li><li>Now, click on the ‘Install’ button and wait for the app to be installed.</li><li>Now, run WhatsApp and enter your phone number.</li><li>Authenticate using OTP and enter your name.</li></ul>You can now use WhatsApp on your computer without using a smartphone. You can use Andy to install other apps and games as well. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/how-to/how-to-open-whatsapp-on-laptop/articleshow/73228727.cms">How to open WhatsApp on laptop</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/how-to-recover-deleted-whatsapp-messages/articleshow/73082094.cms">How to recover deleted messages on WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-to-check-if-someone-has-blocked-you-on-whatsapp/articleshow/72369027.cms">How to know if someone has blocked you on WhatsApp</a>

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WhatsApp multi-device support inches closer, spotted in desktop beta version

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WhatsApp could soon call you to verify your account

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WhatsApp to soon introduce voice and video calls for Web, multi-device support, JioMart integration and more

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CoWIN server crashes as thousands of Indians rush to register for COVID-19 vaccination

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WhatsApp's upcoming feature will allow you to open the messenger in many devices at the same time

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How to open WhatsApp without a smartphone

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