Police today warned of a new scam using SMS messages designed to appear they came from social media network WhatsApp.

Detective Inspector Derricka Burns, from the service’s specialist crime unit, said the messages, claimed to be from WhatsApp technical team, asked recipients for their verification code to check their account was genuine.

But if people respond, it lets the scammers in to the account, contacts list and messages.

Responding to this message, allows the scammers access to your account, your contacts and your messages.

Ms Burns said: “WhatsApp rarely messages users via the app.

“If they do, it is for global announcements and their messages include a green verified indicator alongside the logo and the account name.

“Also, WhatsApp never asks for your data or verification code and you should never be handing out six-digit PIN numbers to anyone.”

She told the public: “You can take extra security measures by setting up the two-step verification for your WhatsApp account.

“This means even if someone does get hold of your six-digit number, they will still need an extra password to access your account.”

Instructions for setting up two-step verification are available in the settings area of WhatsApp.