Scammers are impersonating family members to steal money through WhatsApp. Santander found that 65 percent impersonated the victim’s son, 33 percent the daughter, one percent the friend; one percent the mum or other between August and November.
To start with, the fraudster sends a message on WhatsApp claiming to be a family member or friend. This message may appear to come from an unknown number or from the “correct” number, if a phone number has been spoofed or a WhatsApp account hacked.
If the message is from an unknown number, the fraudster – posing as the family member or friend – will claim there has been an emergency or accident, and they are having to use a different phone. The fraudster will then ask for money to pay an urgent bill or help them out of a financial difficulty, and provide account details of where to send the money to.
They often try to deter the victim from calling, such as having poor signal. The fraudster exploits the apparent relationship with the victim, as well as applies significant pressure, to make the victim act quickly and not question the request.
Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud Control at Santander UK, commented: “We’ve seen the volume of WhatsApp scams skyrocket over the last few months. By preying on people’s relationships with their loved ones, while simultaneously applying immense pressure, these crooks are successfully getting into people’s heads and persuading them to hand over their hard-earned cash. Don’t let them win – verify who you’re messaging, before sending money.”
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