In order to prevent cases of fraud on messenger services, WhatsApp and the state and federal police crime prevention agencies have launched a joint awareness campaign. In a new video we show the fourth tip for protecting your own WhatsApp account.

The short video explains how you can protect your WhatsApp account from fraud and expose fraudsters by verifying their identity.

Beware of another wave of WhatsApp fraud

Fraudsters are currently increasingly up to mischief in order to rip off money via the messenger service. The stitch always goes like this:

  • A first message (apparently machine-generated) goes to the user and states that a supposed relative has a new cell phone number.
  • When the people contacted then contact you, a new message comes demanding money. These are usually sums between 1,500 and 3,000 euros.
  • If a (supposedly) related person writes to you and tells you that they have a new number, be sure to check this by calling the person back on the number you previously knew or asking for a voice message. This is how you can quickly find out whether it is a scam or not.

The identity of possible fraudsters can be verified in the following ways:

If one of your contacts sends an unusual request...

  1. Ask for a voice message.
  2. Or call the person to verify their identity.

This is the only way you can be sure that no stranger is using your account improperly.

Tips against fraud via messenger services

  • Check your code: Never share your account verification code (the six-digit registration code you received via SMS).
  • Check your PIN: Set up a personal PIN for your account (also known as two-step verification).
  • Check your picture: Protect your profile picture (so only your contacts can see it).
  • Check your contact: If supposed contacts ask you for a favor that seems suspicious, verify their identity by asking for a voice message or simply calling.
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Image: Police advice/control is better – check your chat

Protect your account and inform others so that their WhatsApp accounts become more secure and they do not fall victim to fraud.

You can find more articles on the topic of WhatsApp here.


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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 )