WhatsApp scam: how to spot con trick that every parent and grandparent needs to be warned about

Television sports journalist and broadcaster Jacqui Oatley is urging people to warn loved ones about a sophisticated WhatsApp scam that has already duped unsuspecting victims.
Fraudsters are tricking mums and dads into giving away money to criminals through an emotional con that can drain thousands from your back account in an instant.Fraudsters are tricking mums and dads into giving away money to criminals through an emotional con that can drain thousands from your back account in an instant.
Fraudsters are tricking mums and dads into giving away money to criminals through an emotional con that can drain thousands from your back account in an instant.

The scammers appear to be most effective when conning mums and dads into thinking their children need bills paying for them.

By creating a profile in the same name as a relative - though with a different number - the scammers will send a WhatsApp message that purports to be directly from someone known to the recipient who is then asked to settle a bill owing to the sender being either short on cash or unable to access internet banking.

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Jacqui this week tweeted: "I’m keen to warn you about a scam which my lovely, kind mum so nearly fell for. It was incredibly believable. Someone pretends to be you but on a different number, contacts someone close to you and asks them to quickly pay a bill for you before you pay them back."

"Luckily, their spelling and grammar were terrible so that alerted my mum!"

However other people have not been so eagle eyed as to spot the telltale signs that the person making contact is an expert trickster out to steal money from them.

Julie Goldsmith contacted The Yorkshire Post to say: "They are a ruthless bunch. A friend got done and was subjected to serious emotional blackmail."

People are now being urged to pass this warning on to friends and family in order to put them on pre-alert and to help prevent them losing serious amounts of money.

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