“Hello mom, my cell phone is broken and I have a new number...!” – this is how the messages from the fraudsters who want to rip off unsuspecting users via WhatsApp with this scam begin.
In the WhatsApp messages, the perpetrators relatively quickly ask their victims to transfer money to someone else's account because their online banking is not working at the moment because of the new cell phone. Of course, with the promise of wanting to pay back the borrowed money very quickly. Since these are real life issues and the relatives contacted may want to help quickly and easily, a damaging event can occur quickly.
We advise caution!
You think you wouldn't fall for that? May be. But maybe your parents or grandparents, friends or acquaintances. That's why we appeal to you: warn the people who are close to you about this scam!
This is how you can protect yourself:
- Always be suspicious when you are asked to pay money via messenger services!
- Never save unknown phone numbers as contacts without checking them.
- Call your relatives on the old number you know and verify the money claim!
If you have become a victim:
- Always file a criminal complaint.
- Under no circumstances should you make any further monetary payments.
- Inform your bank to stop or reverse any cash flows you may have made.
A real case (video)
Please note that the video is a real case. The perpetrators adapt to their victims. The way may be different. [ To the video ]
You can also read all the information on the topic on WhatsApp: Information about spam and unwanted messages
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )