WhatsApp keeps updating itself to become more safe and secure but it is also the duty of the users to remain vigilant. A group of cybercriminals has found a new way to cheat people on WhatsApp. The scam begins with a very casual approach by saying ‘’Hello Mum’’ or ‘’Hello Dad’’. Cybercriminals in United Kingdom is targeting people using WhatsApp with these kinds of messages followed by the SOS to immediately transfer money because your ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ needs it.
According to Express UK, scam message campaign has cost innocent victims almost £50,000 in the space of a few months. One person, paid out over £3,000 to scammers after being tricked into thinking they had received a message from their son asking for help. The newly circulated WhatsApp messages begin with either “Hello Mum” or “Hello Dad”, before going on to say they need money transferred over urgently.
This is not related to UK only but these kinds of cyber frauds are becoming quite normal in India as well. Scammers here prefer Messenger for duping people.
They will pop up instantly into your chat box as a known person. It could be your brother, sister, cousin, friends or relatives and immediately ask for monetary support. Believing it to be true, people tend to transfer money instantly and end up losing their hard earned income within seconds.
Therefore, it is advisable for the readers and users of WhatsApp and Messenger to stay alert and cross check with their real son or daughter or anyone known if they actually need the money or they are being lured into some kind of trap.
