Beware of 'child in need' Whatsapp scams | Metro News

There’s another Whatsapp scam doing the rounds and this time it’s targeting parents. Scammers on Whatsapp are posing as distressed children in need of immediate cash. People in Britain have reportedly been conned out of almost £50,000 by this type of scam. Action Fraud shows that 25 instances of the scam have been reported between August and October, with victims losing £48,356. A mother from Bedford shared her WhatsApp exchange with a Bedford Facebook group to warn others. ‘Hey, mum it’s me. I got a new number u can delete the old one,’ said the initial text from the scammer. When the woman asked who the unknown texter was, they responded saying, ‘Your oldest and cutest child xx.’ The scammer then went on to explain that they had got a new phone and was in the process of ‘transferring everything’ and claimed their banking app had locked them out for 48 hours. ‘Very annoying because I can’t do anything about it. Could you possibly pay for it for me and I’ll return it soon as possible? Sorry to bother u with this,’ said the text from the scammer. However, instead of immediately transferring the money, the woman phoned her daughter who confirmed…
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