You can be at a loss as what to do if you think that your WhatsApp account has been stolen. If only WhatsApp was used with Sim card only, you’d call your service provider to block the line. However, blocking the line has no effect since WhatsApp can be used even without a SIM card (you can use it on WiFi without a SIM card). So unauthorized persons could still send and receive your texts on your WhatsApp Account.
To prevent you from this, WhatsApp has a number of things you can do to recover your account.
How to reclaim your account: Option 1
- First of all, you need to delete the WhatsApp app you have and reinstall another one.
- Sign into the new WhatsApp app with your phone number (that’s being used by someone currently) and verify your phone number by entering the 6-digit code you receive via SMS. You need to have the SIM card of the WhatsApp account with you (and in your phone). So when you enter the 6-digit code, the person who is using your WhatsApp account will be automatically kicked of your account. Congrats you have just reclaimed your WhatsApp account.
If the person who stole your WhatsApp account has activated two-step verification, then you have to wait for 7 days before you can sign in without the two-step verification code. So afterwards, “regardless of whether you know this verification code or not, the other person using your account will be logged out you entered the 6-digit SMS code that you’d have received”.
Option 2
In the case that you don’t have another phone to install another WhatsApp and ‘kick out’ the person who stole your account, then you only have to email WhatsApp’s customer support to deactivate your account. Here’s the procedure:
- Use the following email address to send an email to WhatsApp support: support@whatsapp.com
- The subject of the email has to be: “Lost/Stolen: Please deactivate my account”.
- In the body of the email, you write: “Lost/Stolen: Please deactivate my account” followed by your phone number in international style. For example, with a Zimbabwean number of “07XX XXXXXX”, you have to write “+263 7XX XXXXXX ”.
- WhatsApp will then deactivate your account until you can reactivate it when you sign in again.
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The challenge is that I once tried that but went to a service provider and was told you never used the line of which i had the line for at least 3 years. Service providers are dealing with thieves. what can be done because i lost all my contacts and business
Our local businessmen… If your phone is stolen the company closes. Hehehe