A widespread scam has now arrived on WhatsApp, as the police and the LKA warn. So far, this nasty trick was only known on the phone. TECHBOOK has a current case.
The police are warning of a new variant of the so-called grandchild trick, in which the scammers use the WhatsApp messenger service.
In the current year 2022 alone are nationwide already over 500.00 euros been scammed with the scam. The damage could be even greater. “We assume a high number of unreported cases, since many attempts at fraud are probably not reported at all,” said an LKA spokeswoman.
“Enkeltrick” goes digital and is even meaner
The classic grandchild trick has been around for years. Scammers look in the phone book for first names that indicate an old person. Then you call the pensioners, pretend to be a grandson or granddaughter and want money. An emergency situation is often played out and psychological pressure is exerted on the elderly.
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With WhatsApp, the grandchild trick is even more difficult to see through and is therefore not only aimed at supposed grandparents, but also at parents. Potential victims now receive a message that begins with: “Hello mom, I have a new number…”. This is reported by the Police in North Rhine-Westphalia. The message, which begins harmlessly, always ends with a request for a money transfer.
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Cases are currently increasing
Even if the scam has been around for a few months and has been repeatedly warned, the cases seem to be increasing again. TECHBOOK also has an acute case. The course of the conversation shows how well the scammers react to any conversations that may arise.
According to the scammer, he’s texting from a new number because the phone fell down the toilet, so a completely realistic scenario. A normal conversation unfolds, in which the fraudster responds to the questions of the person concerned, so that at first no suspicion arises. The demand for money only comes after a few messages and results from the mobile phone loss. Allegedly, some bills have to be paid, which is not possible due to the lost data. The psychological pressure here is expressed in messages like “I’m really ashamed to ask that…”. Also typical are increases like “I really need your help” or “I don’t know who else to turn to”.
The best protection from the mesh
First of all, you should always be careful with messages that want to inform you about a number change. Namely, WhatsApp has a built-in feature that lets you know when one of your contacts changes numbers.
Another way to protect yourself from the rip-off with the grandchild trick on WhatsApp is also very simple. Only save the new number and only answer after you have contacted the old number. So it is best to call the current number that you have from the person concerned and clarify the matter personally. If you don’t have children, you can block the number directly.