Victims from the region became victims of a scam via WhatsApp.
(time of reading: 2 minutes)
A person from Pforzheim has repeatedly been a victim of the so-called WhatsApp fraud. The scammers defrauded a woman of several thousand euros with a communication via the popular smartphone messenger.
In this scam, the scammers use a previously unknown phone number to contact potential victims and pretend to be family members. Once trust is gained, scammers ask their victims to immediately transfer large sums of money due to supposed family emergencies. In this way, the woman had transferred sums of money in the mid-four-digit range. It wasn’t until her real son told her that the fraud was exposed.
Beware of unknown phone numbers
Similar to phone calls from unknown numbers, contact via messenger should also require special attention. This is especially true when the alleged relatives call such numbers and ask for favors.
Do not save calls or contacts from such numbers and do not answer them. If an alleged relative contacts you in this way, please contact the person in question using your previous communication channels in order to verify the authenticity of the contact. Also, don’t be swayed by supposed emergencies that supposedly require an immediate transfer of funds.
Also, do not give out sensitive information such as account or credit card details in these ways. Also, you should not disclose the name of customer accounts for Internet services in this way. In this way, scammers often aim to obtain customer data with which orders can be placed.
Contact your local police station if you think you have been scammed.
