1.2256875-368990584
Image Credit: Istockphoto

Dubai: UAE residents have been alerted of a scam that can compromise or get Snapchat accounts hacked.

In an advisory issued on Wednesday, the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) warned users of the popular instant photo-messaging app to avoid falling prey to a message doing the rounds tricking people to give their passwords away.

What the TRA is referring to appears to be another phishing scheme that can enable hackers to steal personal details and take over other people’s accounts.

The message being circulated tells users that Snapchat wants to verify their account and that they’re required to provide their username, phone number and password.

“Don’t respond [to the message]. Don’t share it and click on it,” the warning posted on TRA’s Twitter account reads.

Users are also advised to be extra careful with their Snapchat images as anybody can retrieve them using just their username and password.

Snapchat users in other markets have been hit with phishing scams that left thousands of accounts compromised.

In July last year, hackers sent messages tricking people in the UK to click on a malicious link, which would then take users to a website that looks like an authentic Snapchat login screen.

According to The Verge, clueless Snapchatters entered their credentials, including their usernames and passwords. It was estimated that more than 55,000 Snapchat accounts were compromised as a result.