Imagine receiving a WhatsApp message from an unknown number that begins with an innocuous-sounding question: “Sorry. Who are you? I found your number in my address book." This could be the start of a scam designed to take advantage of you as a victim.
The scam: The friendly first contact
The fraudsters pretend to be acquaintances or pretend that they cannot identify your phone number. They ask for everyday information such as name, profession or age. The scammers are often very polite and interested and suggest continuing the conversation on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.

The trap is sprung: blackmail
Once the connection to social media is established, the real danger begins. Now the scammers start collecting information from the profiles that they can use against the victim. A common blackmail scenario is threatening to send embarrassing or intimate photos to friends and family. If there are no compromising images available, the perpetrators do not shy away from photomontages. The perpetrators' demands are clear: they want to see money. Unfortunately, giving in often means an intensification and continuation of the blackmail.
Self-protection through prevention
Luckily, Whatsapp offers tools to defend against such attacks. Unknown numbers can be blocked and reported. However, the best protection is caution. Always question unknown messages and do not react blindly to these messages. If you suspect you are the target of a fraud attempt, you should be particularly vigilant.
Not every contact attempt is an attempt at fraud
Not every unfamiliar message on WhatsApp has to be fraudulent. Sometimes it happens that someone accidentally sends a message or revisits old contacts to contact them. However, it is better to be safe than sorry and it is advisable that you do not give away your details too quickly.
Conclusion
Modern communication via WhatsApp brings with it risks, such as sophisticated fraud scams. It's important to stay vigilant and recognize when someone is trying to cheat. To protect yourself and others, blocking and reporting functions should be used. If in doubt, you should always avoid direct contact and try to verify the person's identity through other channels. The best defense is informed and vigilant action
Source: Forum
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