Finntrop. A scam happened to a family in Finnentrop on Monday April 18th. A 56-year-old received a WhatsApp message, apparently from her daughter, with the following content: “Hello mom, my cell phone is broken. This is my new cell phone number, you can save it. Are you at home?” The 56-year-old then asked what had happened.
Later in the chat, the stranger asked the 56-year-old to transfer her money. The mother complied with this request and transferred more than 1,700 euros to the account details that the supposed daughter had sent her.
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The next day, the woman realized that the person was not her daughter. She immediately contacted her bank, who fortunately was able to transfer the money back. She then went to the police station in Attendorn and filed a complaint.
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Fraudsters are increasingly using messenger services. The contacts appear either under an unknown number or under the actual name of the relative.
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The police offer the following tips to protect yourself:
- Ask people personally.
- Do not add unknown phone numbers as contacts.
- Be careful when you are asked to pay money via messenger services.
- If a transfer has already been made, contact the bank immediately and arrange for a return transfer.
- File a report with the police.
- Don’t delete the chat history.
More information on scams via messenger services
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