![]() ![]() ![]() The resurgence of text and WhatsApp scams appear to be taking advantage of circumstances brought about by the pandemic. While these scams are nothing new, there does appear to be a new wave in recent months. WABinfo adds, "just block and report the fake contact right within their chat info," they advise further. "The last 5 messages from this chat will be shared with the official WhatsApp moderation team so they can understand the context of the conversation and they can suspend the account." why are there so many Whatsapp scams? You can report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 and it's free of charge. James Brown, Director at Protect Your Bubble (opens in new tab) said, “If you suspect you’ve received a scam email, message, or call, ensure you report it to both the business and to Action Fraud (opens in new tab) to prevent this from happening to someone else.” ![]() Sharing your experience might save someone else from falling victim too. They may have also received a similar message and might be able to help advise on the best course of action to take. It may sound obvious, but if you’re unsure about the legitimacy of a message, it can help to discuss it with someone you trust. Check the message with someone you trust-people can be great at understanding language and communication in social contexts.For example, if you get a text asking for bank information, try emailing or web chatting with the company directly to check if it’s a true request. It can be hard to tell the difference, so if you are unsure, you can check by using a different form of communication to the one they have used to reach you. Validate they are who they say they are-fraudsters often work hard to convince you of their credibility, sometimes using words and phrases that you might find in genuine communications.If you’re unsure, don’t click on any links or contact the sender in any way. If you don’t recognize the problem you’re being asked to resolve or the offer they’re trying to get you to react to, it might be fraud. Think about your recent dealings with that organization or individual. Watch out for suspicious asks-fraudsters often entice you by either highlighting a problem (e.g., asking you to rearrange a delivery) or making a tempting offer (e.g., suggesting you have won a prize).If you think it’s fake, it’s important not to click on any links to avoid compromising your personal information. Always take the time to consider whether the message is genuine. Look out for phrases like ‘send (…) here’ or ‘click (…) below’, or updated timeframes such as ‘in 48 hours’ or ‘by tomorrow morning’. Be cautious of urgent actions-language encouraging you to take urgent action is a common tactic used in bogus communications.If you receive a message from a company or individual out of the blue, be vigilant in checking for these errors. Spell-check messages-inconsistencies in the language used in a message, such as errors in grammar and spelling, or differences between the sender’s name and the URL link provided, could indicate it’s fraud.Here's Mandy's tips on spotting Fraudulese in your messages. Visa recently partnered with researchers from Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics (AIFL) and uncovered Fraudulese, the language used by fraudsters – in order to help protect consumers online. Mandy Lamb, Visa’s UK MD (opens in new tab), spoke to woman&home about sure-fire ways of spotting fraud. Whatsapp scams-everything to know how to spot a Whatsapp scam ![]()
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