The WhatsApp scam now has a new variant, which explains why supposed relatives call from an unknown number: Now the cell phone has ended up in the washing machine.
WhatsApp message from “Unknown”
Surprising message via WhatsApp from an unknown number: “Hello mom, guess whose cell phone ended up in the washing machine. You can save this number and delete the old one . It went to a consumer in North Rhine-Westphalia. A consumer from Saxony received a WhatsApp message with the content: “Hello mom, I have a new cell phone. Please save the new number!”
As always: fraud and rip-off!
While the consumer from North Rhine-Westphalia has no children and noticed the fraud immediately, the Saxon consumer was not initially suspicious. Because her daughter had already changed her cell phone several times. The older lady saved the new number and the contact remained.
Banal messages were sent back and forth and finally a request for a transfer came. Apparently the daughter can no longer access her online banking data because of the new smartphone, but has to make an important transfer. In total it's about more than 1,100 euros. The lady from Vogtland only became suspicious when the alleged daughter gave a foreign recipient name. Reinsurance using the old phone number revealed that it was a blatant rip-off scam.
Be suspicious!
If you receive a message like this, under no circumstances should you accept the scammers' demands for money! The easiest way is to call your actual children on their “old” and known cell phone number or landline number after receiving such a message. This often makes the dizziness clear.
On WhatsApp you should not delete the messages, but rather report them to the police.
You can block the sender's number so that you no longer receive messages.
This scam is older and is used again and again.
The scammers always pretend to be someone close to them. For various reasons, the cell phone with the known number is no longer available or is defective. We have published numerous articles about this: “Hello Mom” on Mimikama
Source: VZ
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