WhatsApp fake accounts pretend to be support
A new form of fraud has been discovered on WhatsApp in which malicious parties pose as employees of WhatsApp’s support service. Then they try to take over your account or get your bank details.
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WhatsApp fraud
Fraudsters are using a new method to steal WhatsApp users’ account and banking information. This time they send a message with an account similar to the WhatsApp helpdesk. Once they contact their victims, they ask for sensitive data.
It is a reader of WABetaInfo who discovered the fraud form. The fake accounts use a WhatsApp logo with in the profile picture and a green check mark. There is also an unknown phone number.
This is how you recognize the real support
It has only been possible since the beginning of this year to contact the WhatsApp support service via a conversation in the chat app. Only at the real helpdesk the profile picture looks different and the name ‘WhatsApp customer service’ is visible. There is indeed a green checkmark for verification, but it is next to the name ‘WhatsApp customer service’ and not in the profile picture.
It is also important that you only talk to customer service when you contact us yourself. It is therefore suspicious if the support service, on the other hand, contacts you via app. It is unknown how common this particular form of WhatsApp fraud is.
Recently, the police and the Public Prosecution Service asked for more attention to fraud on WhatsApp. According to the Fraud Helpdesk, cheating on WhatsApp was no longer the most commonly reported form of fraud, but it remains common. Have you been approached by malicious people posing as WhatsApp support? Please contact our editors directly.
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