Police have issued a scam warning as people were conned out of hundreds after a simple WhatsApp message.
Officers from the Warrington branch of Cheshire Constabulary released a warning to people living in the area to be vigilant after they received reports of a WhatsApp scam. The scam sees someone message the victim pretending to be a family member or friend who "needs help".
In the pictures Cheshire Police shared, a woman was messaged by her "daughter", Soph, telling her she had lost her phone and was "using her old one" with a new number. She went on to ask the victim for money as a bill needed paying and the banking app wouldn't work on her old phone.
READ MORE: Family will 'never forget' man who died after crashing into house
When the mum asked the scammer to speak on the phone, they replied saying the phone was really old and "can't ring". Cheshire is now warning residents to stop, think and call if they are suspicious they're being scammed.
In a post on Facebook, the force said: "We would like to warn residents against a scam that involves criminals contacting victims on WhatsApp and pretending to be their friend or a family member. Criminals will typically claim to be a family member and will usually begin the conversation with “Hello Mum” or “Hello Dad”.
"They will say that they are texting from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged and will go on to ask for money to purchase a new phone, or claim that they need money urgently to pay a bill. The criminal will supply their bank details for payment, with some coming back on multiple occasions until the victim realises they’ve been scammed.
"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."
Cheshire Constabulary also issued more advice directly from Action Fraud for people who believe they are being scammed.
The post continued: "Action Fraud advises that the public follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to keep themselves safe from fraud. Stop; Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
"Challenge; Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. Protect; If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at https://orlo.uk/UlZ53 or by calling 0300 123 2040."
You can report suspicious text messages you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.
You can report suspicious emails you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you have provided personal or financial details as a result of a suspicious message, or lost money because of a scam, you should report it to Action Fraud at https://orlo.uk/p9agL or by calling 0300 123 2040
READ NEXT:
Teen killed after being knocked down by taxi named
Car pulled from rubble as man, in 40s, dies crashing into house
Haydn Griffiths' sister sends touching message after body found at Pier Head
Emerald Princess 19-decker cruise ship returns to Liverpool
Lufthansa staff set to strike with flight disruption expected
