WhatsApp users are being urged as part of a campaign to be aware of messages from 'friends' claiming to need help.
Scammers are now able to hijack WhatsApp accounts, usually by using accounts they have already taken over, to message the victim’s friends and contacts with false requests for help.
Sometimes the scammer will send a message from an unknown number claiming to be a friend of the victim who has lost their phone or been ‘locked out’ of their account.
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The scammer may then request the victim to share their six digit security code, but WhatsApp's policy manager has now warned users against sharing it with friends or family.
The messaging app launched the Stop. Think. Call campaign with National Trading Standards which says 59 per cent of people have either been sent a scam text in the last 12 months or know someone who has.
Sometimes scammers request money or personal information.
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Louise Baxter, the head of the National Trading Standards scams team and Friends Against Scams, said this type of scam has increased in recent months.
"Scammers send messages that appear to come from a friend or family member asking for personal information, money or a six-digit pin number,” she said.
"The messages are sent from the compromised accounts of your friends, so they look as if they’re coming from someone you know, or from an unknown number claiming to be a friend who has lost their phone or been 'locked out' of their account.
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"These kinds of scams are particularly cruel as they prey on our kindness and desire to help friends and family."
Kathryn Harnett, policy manager at WhatsApp, said: "WhatsApp protects our users' personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we want to remind people that we all have a role to play in keeping our accounts safe by remaining vigilant to the threat of scammers.
"We advise all users never to share their six-digit pin code with others, not even friends or family, and recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security.
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"If you receive a suspicious message (even if you think you know who it is from), calling or requesting a voice note is the fastest and simplest way to check someone is who they say they are. A friend in need is a friend worth calling."
The campaign urges people to:
- Stop: Take time before you respond. Make sure your WhatsApp two-step verification is switched on to protect your account, that you are happy with your privacy settings.
- Think: Does this request make sense? Are they asking for money? Remember that scammers prey on people’s kindness, trust and willingness to help.
- Call: Verify that it really is your friend or family member by calling them directly, or asking them to share a voice note. Only when you are 100% sure the request is from someone you know and trust, should you consider it. If it turns out to be untrue, report it to Action Fraud.
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