If you reach for your phone .. don’t open that devastating message to WhatsApp

WhatsApp scams are nothing new, with users repeatedly warned to be very careful about certain messages that could put their personal data at risk.

A new warning has been sent to app users about a scam that uses a very deceptive method to trick users into handing over large sums of money.

It appears that fraudsters are now using emotional blackmail to try to trick WhatsApp users into remitting these amounts, according to a report released by several foreign sites, including “Teller Report.”

Exploiting emotional weakness

A user named Alison was exposed to one of these recent scams, through a message that appeared on her phone claiming to be from her son. The first message read, “Hello Mom, I dropped my phone in the toilet (sad face emoji), this is my new number.”

Alison explained that she did what most parents would and immediately responded by asking if it was really her son, and a letter confirming this quickly followed.

But the next day his alleged son sent him a letter asking for £ 2,600, explaining that he had to pay off a particular loan.

Ask for money

For her part, Allison confirmed that she didn’t doubt the message for a moment, but tried to call her son back on the number she got to make sure everything was okay.

However, each time the person on the other end of the phone told him that he couldn’t speak and constantly pressured her to make the payment quickly.

After her anxiety increased, she agreed to pay, but luckily she showed him that she forgot to click on the final payment confirmation.

When the scammer asked her to send a proof of payment photo, she became suspicious.

For her part, Catherine Hart, CTSI’s technical director, revealed to BBC Radio 4 that it was not the first time she has seen this type of message, noting that it is very misleading.

She also added that crooks are experts at exploiting the public’s emotional vulnerability, which is a particularly pernicious example.

Also, she advised users to always be wary and suspicious when receiving a message like this, especially when it comes to money.