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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Shane Hickey

Please, Mum! WhatsApp fraudsters pose as loved ones to steal money

WhatsApp Cash Jake Moore United States
Making it personal, a new ploy for heartless scammers to steal money.
Making it personal, a new ploy for heartless scammers to steal money. Photograph: Brian Jackson/Alamy

After chatting on WhatsApp about the latest series of Ozark, Paula Leonard’s* daughter broached a difficult topic: she needed two bills paid, as she was locked out of her online bank account after getting a new phone.

Leonard immediately moved to help her US-based daughter as she has done in the past.

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