The same applies to other information that can be used to mislead the victim. However, criminals can easily copy a photo from other social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram. Consequently, the victim thinks that he or she is indeed communicating with a friend or family member. In most cases the phone number used by the criminal to commit WhatsApp fraud is unknown to the victim, yet the attached profile picture is familiar. Age also seems to be a factor, with most of the victims being over 50 years old. Sadly, on average victims loose thousands of dollars to WhatsApp scams. That is why this type of fraud is also referred to as a friend or family emergency scam. Usually, the perpetrators pretend to be in a hurry, most likely to entice their victims to take immediate action.

Currently, most of those criminals pose as a friend or family member and ask for financial help because “they urgently have to pay a (high) bill” or “they have an emergency and urgently need some money”. WhatsApp fraud is a form of fraud in which cybercriminals pretend to be a victim’s acquaintance and then ask them for money. What is WhatsApp fraud (friend or family emergency scam)? This is exactly what this article is all about.

Needless to say, it is therefore important to know what WhatsApp fraud is, how to recognize Whatsapp scams and how to prevent them. In the first half of 2020 the total number of fraud reports increased sharply, with only a very small number of fraud offences resulting in prosecution. Furthermore, users have become more vulnerable over time, since the tactics used by scammers are becoming more and more ingenious and more effective.Īs a result, WhatsApp fraud is on the rise, causing each victim, on average, thousands of dollars in losses. If you add to this the fact that, for various reasons, the majority of WhatsApp users are vulnerable when online, WhatsApp has become an irresistible platform for fraudsters. This is not surprising, considering the enormous number of WhatsApp users, which as of February 2020 stood at over 2 billion users worldwide, and counting. Even a hugely popular online communication platform like WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has become a favorite tramping ground for fraudsters. Nowadays, online safety is all but a given.

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