WhatsApp "Vote for My Child" Scam: How Do I Get My Hijacked Account Back?

The vote scam is back. Switzerland's National Cyber Security Centre reported a sharp rise in October 2026: a contact messages you asking to vote for a child in a competition, and the link leads to a convincing fake site. Here is how it takes your account and how to get it back.

Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide.

#How does the vote scam take over WhatsApp?

The NCSC describes two routes. The site asks for your phone number and then the six-digit code sent by SMS, which is really WhatsApp's registration code, so the scammer activates your account on their phone. Or the site shows a QR code and asks you to scan it with Linked devices, which quietly adds the scammer's device to your account.

#I entered the SMS code. How do I get back in?

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone and register your number again.
2. Enter the new six-digit code you receive by SMS. This logs the scammer out.
3. If WhatsApp asks for a two-step PIN you never set, the scammer set it. The NCSC notes you may need to wait seven days before you can log in without it, but the scammer is logged out during that time.
4. Once back in, set your own two-step PIN under Settings, Account, Two-step verification.

#I scanned a QR code. What now?

Go to Settings, Linked devices, tap any device you do not recognise and log out. Your phone stays logged in, so this cuts off the scammer. Read our guide on ghost linked devices.

#Who should I warn?

Tell your contacts through another app, SMS or a call that your account was misused, and ask them not to click links or send codes. Scammers use hijacked accounts to spread the same message.

Related guides: WhatsApp "Wrong Number" Message Scam: What If I Already Replied?, Report a WhatsApp Scam in Singapore: What Do ScamShield and the Police Need From Me?.

#When should I ask an expert before I act?

Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen.

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