Salih Hudayar, the Foreign and Security Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, has alerted the Uyghur community in the United States and Canada about a phishing scam. The scam involves suspicious WhatsApp calls from a Canadian number, where the caller, identifying as "Dr Muhammad," falsely claims to represent an East Turkistan group. The caller invites recipients to a meeting and requests a code, which Hudayar warns is part of a phishing campaign potentially linked to a hacking operation targeting the Uyghur diaspora.
The East Turkistan Government in Exile suspects Chinese intelligence involvement in these efforts to access Uyghurs' devices or accounts, steal data, and monitor communications. Many targets were previously added to a Uyghur WhatsApp group called "Tirilish," managed by individuals in Canada and Turkiye. The caller's Pakistani or South Asian accent adds to the suspicion.
Hudayar advises the community to avoid calls or messages from unknown numbers, especially the suspicious Canadian number, and not to share codes or click on links from strangers. He urges Canadian, US, and international authorities, including the FBI, CSIS, and CISA, to investigate and protect Uyghur individuals. Hudayar encourages vigilance and sharing of the warning to ensure personal security.
Salih Hudayar is a leader from the East Turkistan Government in Exile. He works to represent the interests of Uyghur people who are originally from a region in China called Xinjiang.
Uyghurs are a group of people who mostly live in a region called Xinjiang in China. They have their own unique culture and language.
A phishing scam is a trick where someone pretends to be someone else to steal personal information like passwords or bank details. It's like a bad guy trying to trick you into giving them your secret information.
This is a group that represents Uyghur people who live outside of China. They work to raise awareness about the issues Uyghurs face in China.
WhatsApp is a messaging app that people use to send texts, make calls, and share pictures and videos with friends and family.
Chinese intelligence refers to the organizations in China that gather information for the government. They sometimes try to get information from people in other countries.
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