German agencies warn of Signal phishing campaign targeting politicians and journalists
Germany’s BfV and BSI warned about a Signal-based phishing campaign that abuses legitimate account features like PINs and device linking. No platform exploit is required — just social engineering.
Germany’s BfV and BSI issued a joint advisory describing a **phishing campaign on Signal** targeting high-value individuals (politics, military, diplomacy, investigative journalism). **How the scam works** - Impersonation of “Signal Support” (or a support chatbot) to request a **Signal PIN** or SMS verification code. - Alternatively, victims are tricked into scanning a QR code to **link a device**, exposing recent messages and contacts. **Why it matters** This attack demonstrates that secure messengers can still be undermined through **account takeover techniques** that weaponize legitimate features. **Defensive checklist** - Never share verification codes or PINs via chat. - Enable registration/lock protections. - Audit linked devices regularly. **Tags:** Cyber Security, Phishing, Messaging
Source: The Hacker News