UK WhatsApp users are being issued a fresh warning, and it’s one that could save them from being seriously out of pocket. The latest alert comes from Action Fraud, reminding people to be vigilant for the notorious friends and family scam.
This tactic, used by cybercriminals for years, remains a potent threat that continues to catch many off guard. If you’re unfamiliar with this ruse, here’s how it works: It begins with a simple message purporting to be from a friend or family member in urgent need of help.
The conversation often starts with “Hi mum”, followed by a request for money to be transferred to an online account. While it may seem like something most wouldn’t fall for, millions have been lost to these types of attacks over recent years, with some WhatsApp users parting with thousands before realising they’ve been duped.
Read more: Martin Lewis £84 document ‘more important than will’
Action Fraud advises now is a good time to remind yourself of the dangers of online messages and to stay on high alert. They also stress the importance of knowing how to report suspicious activity on accounts and to ‘follow the instructions’ provided by WhatsApp.
“If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity.Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.If you lost money as a result of the scam message, please report it to Action Fraud.”, reports the Mirror.
To report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp, simply press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions. If you’ve lost money as a result of the scam message, it’s crucial to report it to Action Fraud.
Here’s how to block contact and report things to stop more people from becoming victims. To block a contact, go to chats and tap and hold on the person you want to block.
A list should then appear including the option to “Block” the contact. Tap on this and you’ll see the option to “Block and Report”.
Tap this and you will no longer receive messages from that contact.