My WhatsApp was compromised around 11 pm, an unusual time for me as I would typically be asleep. Fortunately, I was still working, and the initial contact with the scammer was my daughter, who approached me asking what help I needed. Confused, I realized my WhatsApp had been sending out messages to contacts, seeking assistance. Only one relative acknowledged the message, and the scammer requested $3.8k to be transferred via PayNow to the number 8921243?. Shockingly, a friend was ready to transfer without hesitation. Fortunately, I intervened, revealing the scam to all victims using the same phone.

Despite this, the scammer continued to send messages, concealing them in the archive folder, which I eventually discovered. In response, I deleted WhatsApp from my phone, losing all chat history due to a lack of backup.

Experiencing my phone send messages without my control was terrifying. It became apparent that someone else had control of my device remotely. I was later informed that clicking a wrong WhatsApp link while attempting to use WhatsApp Web might have caused this breach. Thankfully, there were no financial losses incurred thus far. Hoping my nightmare ends here, I'll be cautious when using WhatsApp Web in the future.