Security researchers have warned that hackers have found a way to hack into WhatsApp accounts without breaking its encryption.

The scam, called ghost pairing, takes advantage of a WhatsApp feature to trick users into linking their accounts to a device that the hackers control, which then gives the hackers access to messages, photos, videos and voice notes.

Once the hackers have taken control of the account, they can send messages to contacts to launch further hacking attempts.