Investigative Report Uncovers WhatsApp Hacking in Yemen
An investigative report supported by data has revealed the secrets of WhatsApp and other social media account hacking, which is done by purchasing activation numbers from virtual networks and hackers on the internet.
The report, prepared by journalist Safia Mahdi and journalist Mohammed Nasser for the Yemeni Fact-Checking Network and published in collaboration with the Al-Nida newspaper, states that "Every 7 minutes, a Yemeni phone number is hacked or used illegally, mostly on WhatsApp. This is what documented data for just 120 hours of number sales in one group only reveals."
The investigation addressed the rumors raised about Yemeni telephone companies, including Yemen Mobile, which issued a statement confirming that WhatsApp accounts of users were hacked and that the websites responsible for selling the numbers were responsible. However, the investigation confirmed that Yemen Mobile, like other Yemeni companies, is hacked or its numbers are used illegally or to hack accounts that work, dozens of times a day.
An analysis by the Yemeni Fact-Checking Network of documented data for messages over five days, February 9-13, 2024, showed that 1,696 numbers were for sale, hacked, and used illegally from 28 countries. Yemen topped the list with 1,069 numbers, representing more than 63% of the total numbers.
Foreign countries accounted for varying percentages between 1 and 10%, with Chile having 138 numbers, Vietnam 134, Colombia 77, South Africa 75, Rwanda 27, Turkey 25, the United States 19, Samoa 19, and Angola 10. India, Tajikistan, and England each had 4 numbers, the Philippines had 3, and Brazil, France, and Canada each had 2. Mexico, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Netherlands each had 1.
Arab countries were not absent from this figure related to only one group, as Saudi Arabia came in with 9 numbers, Morocco with 4, the Emirates with 2, and Libya with 2. Jordan, Syria, and Egypt each had 1.
As for Yemeni companies, the data analysis revealed that 686 numbers starting with "77" (Yemen Mobile) and 33 numbers starting with "78" for the same company were registered. In addition, 178 numbers from the company YOU (formerly MTN Yemen) starting with "73" and 145 numbers from the company SabaFon starting with "71" were registered, in addition to 29 numbers from the less widespread company Wi for Communications, whose numbers start with "70".
The data showed that every 7 minutes or so, a Yemeni phone number is sold illegally or hacked, if it was used before, to be used with a single message to activate an application or platform on social media networks.
The report says that this threat, which may not exclude any Yemeni household from intrusion, given the widespread use of communication applications and various website services, has come to the fore.
The full investigation is available at the following link: Yemeni Phone Numbers: Victims of Fraud and Hacking - Who is Responsible?