Beware of the 'friend in need' scam circulating on WhatsApp right now – Metro

If you’ve recently received a text from a friend claiming they’re stuck abroad and urgently need hundreds of pounds to get home, you might want to hold on before you hit send. In what’s the latest text-based scam, users are being targeted by scammers posing as friends or family in need of help. Toni Parker, a 53-year-old nurse and mum of four, fell victim to the scam. She believed she was talking to her eldest son and was conned out of £2,500. ‘I love my kids and if they text me in need I will help them, who wouldn’t help their own children?’ said Toni, from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. ‘These scammers know this and I think they are purposely targeting mothers because it is our natural instinct to help.’ Whatsapp and consumer protection body, National Trading Standards have both warned users against these ‘friend in need’ scams. ‘Scammers send messages that appear to come from a friend or family member asking for personal information, money or a six-digit pin number,’ said Louise Baxter, the head of the National Trading Standards scams team. How does the scam work? The messages could either be sent from compromised accounts of friends or…
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