Pforzheim. A woman from a suburb of Pforzheim has been a victim of the so-called WhatsApp scam in recent days. The scammers deprived the woman of several thousand euros.
According to police, the perpetrator contacted the victim on a number previously unknown to the victim and pretended to be her son. The scammer then tricked the woman into transferring sums in the mid-four-figure range. Only when the real son told his mother about her did she learn of the deception.
The Pforzheim Police Headquarters provides the following tips on how to deal with corresponding telephone messages:
- Be sensitive to messages from unknown phone numbers.
- If people you know call you on an unfamiliar number, don’t save the number automatically.
- Ask the person for a voicemail or call them yourself.
- Personal contact with a relative can quickly clarify whether it is a case of fraud. You can also use alternative communication channels, such as an email address or phone number that you already know.
- Under no circumstances should you provide private information, such as bank account or credit card information, or login information for customer accounts. Money transfers via WhatsApp and other messaging services should always be suspicious and monitored.
- Don’t let yourself be pressured into the phone.
