A man has warned of the latest scam after he almost lost €1,300 through a common 'friend in need' con.
The sophisticated fraud sees WhatsApp users being targeted by scammers who impersonate close friends or family pretending to be in need.
Martin Stevens, who believed he was talking to his son, Jack, said he was convinced the con-artists were 'listening' or 'watching' his conversations as they were able to use the same terminology.
After being contacted by his supposed son, Martin was told that Jack needed £1,085 (€1,300) to buy a new phone after his had fallen and was "completely smashed".
Martin believed the text as his son had recently purchased a new phone, and his home did have flagstone flooring, which could explain the damage.
He agreed to help his son out and sent over the money and the details, which the scammers immediately tried to use.
However, thankfully Martin's bank, Barclaycard, noticed the suspicious behaviour and contacted him.
Speaking to The I , Martin said scammers sent a message asking if they could use another card as the transaction didn't go through.
After that, they sent another eerie message with three smiley emojis and "My time's up".
Martin's son then called, and after he explained how he had tried to send the money, Jack revealed to his father that it had been a scam message.
He then called the bank and cancelled his cards.
He said: "It was almost like this person has been listening or been watching the conversation between Jack and I."
WhatsApp, which uses end-to-end encryption to protect the privacy of users messages, says it encourages people that use the chat app to be on guard to the threat of scam artists.
Kathryn Harnett, policy manager at WhatsApp, said: "If you receive a suspicious message (even if you think you know who it's from), calling or requesting a voice note is the fastest and simplest way to check someone is who they say they are. A friend in need is a friend worth calling."
