WhatsApp scams have become a nightmare for users. The national police have issued repeated warnings in recent weeks about a new type of scam that many victims are still confused about. Most disturbingly, the attacker was able to access the victim’s account without the victim even realizing it. From there he then asks for money from those closest to him.
This technique has been discovered in several areas of Spain and exploits vulnerabilities in phones that have not been updated. Cybercriminals send messages in the victim’s name to family and friends. They requested a transfer of approximately one thousand euros. Even worse: Victims don’t see the messages at all on their phones, so it takes a while for them to react.
This is how a silent scam works.
This method is simple but very effective. Scammers often exploit vulnerabilities in mobile operating systems, especially iPhones that have not been updated to the latest version, to try to hack into victims’ WhatsApp accounts. Once compromised, you can send messages to your contacts without the other person knowing. In fact, the victim continued to use the app as usual and did not notice anything unusual.
The most surprising thing is that these scam messages will not appear in the victim’s chat history and can only be seen by the recipient. Additionally, unknown devices are not always shown when viewing the “Associated Devices” section, making it nearly impossible to spot an intrusion in time. Criminals will use the “delete for me” option so that the information is also deleted from the victim’s phone, making the crime more difficult. Recover deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone.
Why is it so difficult to detect?
The main difficulty is that there aren’t any obvious signs. Victims do not lose access, receive no notifications, and can continue chatting normally. Meanwhile, the attacker will impersonate the victim, using their usual numbers and names to conduct real conversations. The requests for money came from an existing chat room. This gives an illusion of legitimacy and can fool even the most cautious people.
Cybercriminals usually demand amounts ranging from 950 to 1.000 euros, citing excuses such as a malfunction of the phone, an urgent need to pay a bill or exceeding the bank’s daily limit. Additionally, they avoid soliciting money in the victim’s name. Instead, they provide the IBAN of the purported seller or third party, which helps perpetrate… Digital scam in which Spanish bank accounts were swiped.
How to protect yourself
The National Police has issued a series of advice to avoid falling into such traps. First, it’s important to always keep your phone’s operating system and the WhatsApp app itself up to date. This update fixes a vulnerability exploited by attackers. Access account.
- Please notify your contact by other means (phone, SMS or email) and ignore any payment requests received via WhatsApp.
- Never give away verification codes, PINs, QR codes, or access keys.
- Enable two-step verification in WhatsApp settings.
- Check the Connected Devices section regularly and close any sessions you don’t recognize.
- If you are a victim, please report the incident to the police and contact official WhatsApp customer service.
If you notice something strange happening, don’t hesitate to alert your loved ones through other means. Speed is key to preventing scams from happening. Remember: Even if you don’t see any suspicious devices, your account may have been compromised.
In short, this new type of WhatsApp scam is characterized by its high level of stealth, allowing criminals to easily impersonate their victims. Lack of timely updates of mobile phone systems and trust in contacts are the main reasons for such scams. Keeping your phone’s system updated, enabling two-factor authentication and being alert to any unexpected financial requests are the best ways to avoid falling into such traps. Police stress that prevention is key and if you suspect anything suspicious it is best to take immediate action and report it.
