Chain message warning of WhatsApp cyberattack linked to war images is a hoax

WhatsApp says the viral claim of a cyberattack amid the Israel-Hamas war is false. It’s similar to other hoaxes that circulated online before the war began. As the Israel-Hamas war intensifies, misinformation is flooding social media. VERIFY has fact-checked multiple false and misleading claims and images that have spread online since the war began. On Oct. 7, a post on X warned of a cyberattack tied to the war on the Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp. Other X users have shared the same message in multiple languages. It also has been circulating on Facebook. The full text of the chain message reads: “Warning coming out of Israel re cyber attacks: Some people are going to upload pictures of the fighting in Jewish settlements on WhatsApp The file is called Seismic Waves CARD. Do not open it, it will hack your phone in 10 seconds and cannot be stopped in any way. Pass the information on to family and friends. They talked about it on TV. A cyber attack on us from all kinds of directions is also starting.” THE QUESTION Are warnings about a WhatsApp cyberattack linked to Israel-Hamas war images legitimate? THE SOURCES WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by MetaWhatsApp
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