The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has reported a rise in cases of Telegram account hacking through phishing links sent via the platform, often accompanied by claims of containing photos.

These phishing links are typically sent in messages appearing to come from trusted contacts. When users click the link, they are prompted to enter their phone number, followed by a request to share a one-time password (OTP) sent to their device.

If the OTP is shared, scammers can take control of Telegram accounts and use it to send phishing links to the person’s contacts, impersonating them.

If a user’s Telegram account is hacked due to a phishing link scam, they have been instructed to immediately uninstall the Telegram app and reinstall it. Users have been urged to be sure to enable Two-Step Verification to enhance your account security after reactivation.

The police have revealed that activating Two-Step Verification in Telegram is one of the most important steps users can take to secure their Telegram accounts.

Even if a message containing such a link appears to come from a trusted or close contact, users have been urged to not engage with it. These are phishing links designed to give scammers control of Telegram accounts.

Authorities have strongly advised against clicking on any suspicious links.