My friend's phone got hacked through a WhatsApp image — attacker has his Telegram, WhatsApp access and is leaking private videos to his contacts. Need urgent help.
My friend received a WhatsApp image from an unknown number. The moment he opened it, his phone switched off. When it restarted, an unknown person sent him screenshots proving they had full access to his WhatsApp and Telegram accounts. The attacker is now sending one of his private videos to people in his contact list.
We suspect it was a zero-click or image-based exploit (possibly a malicious file disguised as an image).
What has happened so far:
Phone shut down immediately after opening the image
Attacker demonstrated WhatsApp and Telegram access via screenshots
Private video being sent to his contacts without consent
What we need help with:
How to immediately revoke access to WhatsApp and Telegram from all devices
Whether the phone is still compromised and what to do
Legal options in India (this is non-consensual intimate content sharing — criminal offense)
Any forensic steps to preserve evidence.UPDATE: This is likely a s*xtortion scam.
The attacker demanded ₹20,000 which my friend already paid, and is now demanding more. We believe the "hack via image" may have been partially or fully fabricated to create fear. The attacker likely had access to his account through other means (phishing, session hijacking) or is bluffing about the extent of access.
He has paid once and will NOT be paying again. We need advice on:
How to confirm if phone is actually compromised or if this was social engineering
Steps to cut off attacker's access completely
How to report this as extortion in India (cybercrime.gov.in)
How to deal with the shame/fear aspect — attacker is counting on silence