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Free · Scenario lab

WhatsApp Hacked Recovery Lab: Your First Hour

A friend asks you to send back a code. Minutes later you are logged out and your contacts are getting messages from “you”. Live the first hour, make the calls, and see what gets the account back and keeps it safe. Prefer to read first? Start with the step-by-step guide to a hacked WhatsApp.

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Template & sample scenario. A fictional rehearsal built on common real-world patterns, not a record of any real organisation, audit or deal. Generated from a PlayCISO template as a starting point: it is not legal, audit, certification, investment or professional advice. Review, adapt and validate it for your organisation before you rely on it.

You are Priya Nair. A message from your friend Dev arrives on WhatsApp, and within minutes your account is no longer yours. Across 11 decisions you live the first hour: how it happened, getting back in, removing the intruder, warning people and locking the account down. Everything here is fictional: the people, the group and the addresses. Each call is scored 0 to 10, with the reason based on WhatsApp's own help pages.

This is the guided version: a yellow flash shows where to click and a bar says what to do. Switch to Free play any time.

GuidedPress the highlighted Start button. You can edit the names above first, or keep the samples.

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Replace the sample names so the scenario and the debrief you export are about your organisation.

TL;DR

What this lab is

5 points
  • A scenario lab: a fictional friend's message asks for your 6-digit WhatsApp code, your account is taken over, and you have an hour to put it right.
  • You make 11 scored decisions: refusing the code, re-registering, a two-step PIN you never set, unknown linked devices, warning contacts, reporting, and locking the account down.
  • The reasoning follows WhatsApp's own Help Center pages on recovering a compromised account, linked devices, account security and two-step verification.
  • Free to play. You get a final score and grade, a shareable scorecard and next-step links. A downloadable debrief is available with a paid plan.
  • Defensive and educational only. Every person, group and address is fictional and no real accounts or links appear.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real WhatsApp account or real attack?

No. The people, the group chat and the addresses are fictional and use reserved example names. Nothing connects to WhatsApp or to your account.

Where does the advice come from?

From WhatsApp's own Help Center pages on recovering a compromised account, linked devices, account security tips and two-step verification. The blog guide links each page so you can check the current steps for your version of the app.

Will changing my password remove a hacker from WhatsApp?

WhatsApp says changing a password does not remove someone who has taken over the account. Only re-registering with the 6-digit code sent to your number does, which logs out every other device.

What if I forgot a two-step verification PIN I never set?

WhatsApp says to wait 7 days and try again if you do not know the PIN, and that entering the SMS code logs the other person out regardless. If an email was added to the account, a reset link can be requested.

How is it scored?

Each decision scores 0 to 10 and the final score is the share of the maximum. Every answer comes with a short reason, so you learn why a choice helps or hurts.

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