WHATSAPP users are a popular target for scammers, who are using increasingly devious tactics to get hold of people’s hard-earned cash.
Some methods are more popular than others – here are the biggest phoney messages to look out for.
Crooks impersonating loved ones
Parents are being warned of a spike in a crafty WhatsApp scam which involves distressed “hello mum” texts asking for cash.
It’s thought Brits have been conned out of almost £50,000 by the frauds which see scammers pose as theirs sons and daughters.
It’s called the “friend in need” scam, according to UK scam fighters Action Fraud.
But it often starts with “Hi mum/dad it’s me”.
The scheme involves tricking parents into thinking they’re speaking to their children.
Often they will pretend that they’re texting on a friend’s phone or from a new number.
But your own child’s WhatsApp may have even been compromised to pull off the scam.
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The scammer will request a large sum of money to pay some kind of urgent bill.
Parents transfer the cash online without thinking, sometimes sending thousands before they realise they’ve been hoodwinked.
Police have said that this type of scam is particularly common and describe it as “fairly simple”.
Scammers target their victims, find information about them on social media and then use emojis to build a rapport.
If your “child” messages you asking for money, make sure to verify the…
