Parents warned of common Whatsapp scam doing the rounds as fraudsters impersonate kids

Parents are being warned of a common Whatsapp scam that is catching people out as fraudsters impersonate people’s kids and loved ones for financial gain. Scams occurring on the messaging app are becoming more and more common, as a UK expert emphasises the importance of being vigilant in a post-pandemic world. According to an analysis by Lloyds Bank, criminals have increasingly turned to WhatsApp as an approach to fleece their victims, and by their stats, twice the number of cases have been reported each month so far this year compared to 2021. READ MORE:Google warns users to quickly update Chrome to avoid being hacked after major flaw discovered Here’s how the most common Whatsapp scam works and how to avoid falling victim: Fraudsters typically send the same initial message to lots of different phone numbers at the same time, in the hope that they get a few replies. Once someone has responded, they pretend to be a family member, usually a son or daughter, who has lost their phone and got a replacement. This gives them an excuse for having a different phone number, and means they don’t need to know someone’s name, just ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’ can be enough.…
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