Question from a reader:
Please help me urgently. I made a small mistake. While I was half-asleep late at night, I fell for a scam that tricked me into registering for a membership via LINE and verifying my phone number. Honestly, I don’t remember much about what personal information I entered. I don’t have a credit card, so I’m relieved about
that, but I definitely entered my phone number. I’ve taken as many precautions as I can, like changing my password and blocking, but is there a high possibility that my LINE account could be hijacked?

For Those Who Have Fallen for a LINE Scam

I completely understand that you need urgent help. It’s something that can happen to anyone when you’re half-asleep late at night and make a mistake. Especially with the recent scam techniques being so clever, many of them test our judgment. From your inquiry, it’s clear that you’re feeling quite anxious. As someone who studies psychology, I can empathize with that fear and urgency.

The Mechanism of the Scam and Your Situation

First, let me briefly explain the mechanism of the scam you’ve fallen for. The scammer aims to get you to register for a membership and obtain personal information, including your phone number. They may use your phone number to hijack your LINE account. By using familiar apps like LINE, scammers are skilled at lowering our guard. While it’s unclear how much personal information you entered, you confirmed that you definitely inputted your phone number. This is a problem. If your phone number is misused, the chances of someone accessing your LINE account increase through various means. Therefore, let’s look at what specific measures can be taken and whether your LINE account is truly at risk.

Risks of LINE Account Hijacking

First, let’s take a closer look at the risks of hijacking. Generally, LINE accounts are authenticated using phone numbers, so if your phone number is known, unauthorized access becomes easier. In particular, scammers often use the following methods: 1. SMS Authentication: Scammers can obtain the authentication code sent via SMS when logging into LINE. 2. Phishing Sites: You may be directed to a fake login page when trying to log in. What’s important here is what measures you’ve taken. Changing your password and blocking access is a pretty good response. Strengthening your password is especially crucial.

Specific Measures

Now, let’s discuss the specific measures you should take in detail.

1. Strengthen Your Password

First, strengthen your password. It’s important to change it to something hard to guess by combining letters, numbers, and symbols. For example, changing “abc123” to “93&zQ1f9!kL” makes it much harder to guess.

2. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

Next, I strongly recommend setting up two-factor authentication for LINE. This will require additional verification when logging in, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access. The setup isn’t too difficult, so I hope you take this opportunity to review it.

3. Be Cautious of Suspicious Messages

Also, it’s crucial to ignore any suspicious messages you receive immediately. Scammers often send messages that create a sense of urgency, playing on your psychology. For example, messages like “Your account will be frozen.” It’s important to handle these situations calmly.

4. Warn Friends and Family

Finally, since there’s a possibility that suspicious messages could be sent to your friends and family through your LINE, it would be good to warn them as well. Let them know, “My account might have been hacked recently, so please ignore any strange messages you receive.”

Psychological Impact and Its Measures

Now that we’ve discussed specific measures, facing such a situation can also impose a significant psychological burden. Especially since you were half-asleep late at night, you might feel self-loathing. However, there is much to learn from such experiences. I myself have faced a similar situation. Once, I fell for a suspicious email and ended up giving away my personal information. I deeply regretted it at that moment, but now I can utilize that experience. I’ve learned about the psychological aspects of scam techniques and can now advise others. To alleviate the psychological burden, it’s essential to first not blame yourself. Making mistakes is human. By taking measures for the future, you can gain a sense of security. Reminding yourself, “I will be more careful from now on,” can help you adopt a positive mindset.

In Conclusion

In closing, I hope you recover from this situation and can use LINE with peace of mind again. The internet world is convenient but also full of risks. That’s why daily vigilance is necessary. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to reach out. I will do my best to help you. It may be a tough situation, but let’s work together to find a solution. Your safety is the top priority, so let’s stay calm and think about the next steps.