As a reminder, don’t trust an email or WhatsApp message from a friend asking for a short-term loan.
We are seeing increasing reports of people being tricked into sending money after appearing to have been contacted by a friend.
Scammers hack into people’s email systems and, after reading previous correspondence, send victims a series of chatty emails asking for a mutual friend.
The emails and WhatsApp messages are designed to convince the recipient that the person is who they claim to be. A few hours later, a plausible application for a short-term loan arrives. It could be that you are stuck abroad, have been robbed or your car breaks down.
The way to cover yourself is very simple: after receiving such a request, do not send any money without first speaking to the person and realizing that they really need a loan. If they start making excuses as to why they can’t talk to you, be doubly suspicious. The same goes for sending money to businesses. Just because you expected to send money to a company doesn’t mean you automatically assume the email request is genuine – if it’s a substantial sum, always call first.
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