WhatsApp isn’t just for chatting with friends, it’s the backbone of business and personal communication in countries like Nigeria, Brazil, India and South Africa. That makes it a goldmine for cybercriminals. In 2025, scammers have moved beyond old SIM-swap tricks to more advanced tactics like MFA fatigue (push bombing) and phishing takeovers, hijacking accounts at scale.

Meta reported that it removed 6.8 million scam accounts in the first half of 2025, underscoring how widespread the threat has become. One of the fastest-growing methods is MFA fatigue attacks where criminals flood a victim’s phone with endless login prompts until frustration leads them to hit “approve.” Once inside, attackers impersonate the victim, demand emergency payments from contacts, or exploit WhatsApp Business accounts to trick customers into transferring money.

The impact is real: in July 2025, Indian police reported a case where a CFO was tricked into transferring ₹1.94 crore after fraudsters hijacked WhatsApp chats to impersonate his company’s MD. Similar scams have been reported across Africa and Latin America, where WhatsApp often doubles as a financial channel.

So how do you protect yourself? The golden rule is layered defense. Turn on WhatsApp’s two-step verification PIN, never approve unexpected login prompts, and double-check suspicious money requests using another channel. For businesses, treat WhatsApp accounts like financial assets, limit admin access, verify changes to bank details, and train staff to spot MFA fatigue scams.

Final Thought: MFA fatigue shows how even strong security tools can be twisted into attack vectors. By combining better habits, stronger authentication, and platform cooperation, we can keep WhatsApp safe because in 2025, one careless tap on “approve” could cost you everything.