Fraudsters have been posing as genuine members of large community and religious groups on the app, gaining people's trust, then taking over accounts and soliciting money from victims
BE AWARE: Fraudsters pose as genuine members of the group before taking over the account and asking others for money
Typically, the scam initiates when a group member receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, who falsely presents themselves as a fellow group member. Often the scammer will use a false profile picture and display name, so at first glance they appear to be a genuine member of the group, reportedAction Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, explains that scammers do this to make people trust them.
"The scammer will then message other members of the group, or friends and family in the victim’s contacts, asking them to transfer money urgently as they are in desperate need of help." According to Action Fraud, the victims of thistypically include members of huge WhatsApp communities, alumni and academic groups, professional networks and religious organisations like church or prayer groups.
Furthermore, he advised the public to report suspicious messages and block senders within WhatsApp, stressing that safeguarding personal information is paramount. To shield yourself against these scams, Action Fraud has offered these vital recommendations:Set up two-step verification to give an extra layer of protection to your account.
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