People are being warned about a WhatsApp scam which has already cost victims more than £1.5m this year. The cruel con sees fraudsters pose as family members - usually a child - or a friend of their target.
Criminals will usually begin the conversation with "Hello Mum" or "Hello Dad" and will say that they are texting from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged. They will then ask for money to purchase a new one, or claim that they need money urgently to pay a bill.
The criminal will provide bank details for the payment to be made to, with some coming back with further demands for money. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has issued a warning to the public about the continued increase in reports about the scam.
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The NFIB said that between February 3 and June 21, 2022 there have been a total of 1,235 reports made to Action Fraud linked to this scam, with total reported losses exceeding £1.5m.
Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish, from the City of London Police, said: "If you receive a message like this from a friend or family member, don’t send any money until you’ve had a chance to call them and confirm their identity. Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe."
The advice given to the public:
- STOP. THINK. CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm their identity
- You can report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions
- Never share your account’s activation code (that’s the 6 digit code you receive via SMS)
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