Scammers were once again successful with their scam via the WhatsApp news service. A 60-year-old woman sent them money twice.
Langenselbold – According to the police, a 60-year-old woman from Langenselbold (Main-Kinzig district) received a message on Monday (March 20) in which her alleged daughter stated that her mobile phone was broken and that she needed money to pay three bills need.
Main-Kinzig district: 60-year-old woman falls victim to WhatsApp scammers
According to the police, the 60-year-old fell for the fraud and in good faith initially transferred two bills of 2,700 euros to a third-party bank account.
It wasn’t until the third bill that she became suspicious and tried to call her daughter on the supposedly “old” phone number. The woman succeeded. The real daughter explained to her mother that she is not using a new number. The case is now under investigation for fraud.
In Lower Franconia, fraudsters were also successful with their scam via WhatsApp with a 59-year-old. The perpetrators stole around 3000 euros.
As reported by the police, fraud via the WhatsApp news service is still one of the most popular scams used by scammers. These contact their victims via the service and usually pretend to be close relatives who are said to be in financial difficulties and need money.
Police Tips
In order not to be “taken by surprise”, the police again give tips: They advise you to always be suspicious if you receive a text message from a relative/acquaintance demanding money.
First, the alleged person should be called on the known number for security.
Unless you can be absolutely sure that it is actually the alleged person, money should not be transferred under any circumstances. If you have already transferred money, you should contact the bank immediately and arrange for a return transfer to be arranged.
The chat history should be secured – according to the police, this is important for the criminal investigation. In addition, a report should be filed.
Furthermore, the police advises to warn relatives and acquaintances of the scam – especially older people. “This is the only way to prevent further crimes or to clear up potential victims!”
“They pretend that they have a new mobile number so as not to arouse suspicion. By mistaking the sender of the message for the true acquaintance, transfers or money transfers often take place,” the police wrote in a report.
So that it doesn’t come to that, the criminal police advises vigilance. Not everyone sees right away that he or she is playing the wrong game. (jhz)
