WhatsApp fraud is a growing cyber threat where scammers use the platform to deceive people into revealing sensitive information, sending money, or performing actions that ultimately benefit the fraudster. These scams take various forms, including impersonating family members or friends, posing as businesses, or sending phishing messages designed to steal banking credentials, passwords, or other personal details.

The key weapon scammers use is trust. They exploit human emotions by pretending to be someone familiar—a loved one in distress, a company offering a lucrative deal, or even an authority figure demanding urgent action. Fraudsters use social engineering tactics, such as creating a sense of urgency or fear, to pressure victims into acting quickly without verifying the request.

For example, you might receive a message from a “family member” claiming they lost their phone and need emergency funds, or a “bank official” asking you to update your account details to avoid suspension. In reality, these are well-crafted scams designed to trick unsuspecting users into transferring money or sharing sensitive data.

To stay safe, always verify unexpected messages, avoid sharing personal information over WhatsApp, and be cautious of any requests that involve urgency or financial transactions. Remember, legitimate businesses and financial institutions will never ask for sensitive information via WhatsApp.

Scammers offer attractive loans with low-interest rates or no credit checks to lure victims. They often pose as representatives from legitimate financial institutions or banks.

How It Works:

• The victim receives a message offering a pre-approved loan.
• A small “processing fee” is requested upfront.
• After paying the fee, the fraudster disappears, and the victim never receives the loan.

Real-Life Example: A victim in Mumbai lost ₹50,000 after transferring “processing fees” to a fake loan provider claiming to be from a reputed bank.

How to Spot It:

• Unrealistic loan offers or promises without formal documentation.
• Urgency to make an upfront payment.
• Poor grammar or unprofessional language in the message.

This scam convinces victims they’ve won a lottery, cash prize, or lucky draw. To claim the reward, the victim is asked to pay taxes or processing fees first.

How It Works:

• The victim receives a message about winning a lottery.
• They’re asked to pay a fee or provide personal banking details.
• Once paid, the scammer vanishes, and no prize is delivered.

Real-Life Example: A user in South Africa lost nearly $3,000 after believing they had won a WhatsApp-sponsored lottery—an event that didn’t even exist.

How to Spot It:

• No participation in any lottery or contest.
• Requests for upfront payment to release funds.
• Poor-quality logos or fake documents attached.

Fraudsters impersonate friends, family members, or even authority figures by using stolen profile pictures and similar phone numbers.

How It Works:

• A user receives a message from a “friend” in distress.
• The scammer requests emergency funds, often creating a false sense of urgency.
• The victim transfers money without verifying the identity.

Real-Life Example: In the UK, a woman was scammed out of £1,500 after believing she was sending money to her son, who supposedly needed urgent help.

How to Spot It:

• Unexpected requests for money from someone you know.
• Slight changes in the contact number (+1 added before the usual number).
• Avoids phone or video calls for identity verification.

Phishing scams attempt to steal sensitive information like bank account details, passwords, or PINs.

How It Works:

• You receive a link via WhatsApp offering discounts or free gifts.
• Clicking the link redirects you to a fake website mimicking a legitimate one.
• Entering details results in personal information being stolen.

Real-Life Example: An Indian user’s entire bank account was drained after entering card details on a fraudulent “Flipkart sale” link received via WhatsApp.

How to Spot It:

• Unusual links with shortened URLs (e.g., bit.ly links).
• Websites with odd domain names or spelling errors.
• Requests for sensitive information through messages.

Scammers impersonate businesses to steal personal or payment details. These are common during major sales events or holidays.

How It Works:

• Fake customer support accounts offer help via WhatsApp.
• Victims share sensitive details like OTPs or banking credentials.
• Scammers use these details to siphon off money.

Real-Life Example: A fake Amazon customer support account duped a man in the U.S. out of $2,500 by asking for his credit card information.

How to Spot It:

• Verify contact details with the official website.
• Legitimate businesses rarely use WhatsApp for sensitive communication.
• Requests for OTPs or passwords are red flags.

The scammers here impersonate members of WhatsApp’s tech support team. To make it look like they’re legitimate, they add a “verified” symbol to their profile picture.

In the most common scam, WhatsApp support team impersonators will ask you to verify your identity by providing personal details and sensitive information. Otherwise, they may “help” by asking for credit card numbers or six-digit WhatsApp codes via SMS or Telegram messages.

What to do: There are two main clues to look out for here:

• A verification check mark appears on the sender’s profile picture. Official WhatsApp accounts carry the verified badge next to a contact name and not in the actual avatar.
• An official member of WhatsApp will never message you through the app.

They will also never ask for credit card information or verification codes to supposedly prevent account termination

In this scam, a one-time password (OTP) verification code is sent via voice call to WhatsApp users by using a mobile carrier’s automated service to forward calls to another number.

These codes begin with a star or hash prefix (*#) followed by the scammer’s phone number. When you dial the code, it activates call forwarding. The attacker starts the WhatsApp registration process for the account registered with your phone number.

What to do: Don’t pick up calls from unknown numbers on WhatsApp. If you unwittingly initiated a call forwarding request, look for an on-screen pop-up to cancel activation.

If you receive unsolicited messages asking you to fill out a survey or claim a gift card from a popular brand, it’s most likely a scam. Any information you provide will go straight to scammers who can use it to hack you or target you with identity theft.

These messages intentionally spoof reputable companies like Marks & Spencer. However, the goal is to dupe you into sharing personally identifiable information (PII) or downloading malware.

What to do: If you receive a WhatsApp message from a company, confirm that you have signed up for notifications with that company. If not, ignore the message and delete it. If such offers seem authentic or enticing, check the company’s official website or social media accounts before you click on any promotional links.

Fraudsters use WhatsApp like any other messaging platform — often using fake or spoofed numbers to trick you into sending them money, investing in fraudulent crypto scams, or sending personal data that can be used to steal your identity.

Here are the red flags of a WhatsApp scammer you should be on the lookout for:

• Unexpected messages. Scam messages will always come out of the blue from unknown contacts (or people claiming to know you).‍‍
• A sense of urgency. Scammers will try to pressure you into acting without thinking, either through threats (jail time, fines, etc.) or the promise of rewards (making money).‍
• Requests for money. If anyone asks you to transfer them money or send gift cards (or images of them), it’s a scam.‍
• Job offers. Fraudsters will try to entice victims with promises of well-paying remote jobs.‍
• Attractive profile images. Many scammers will steal photos of online models and send “wrong number” messages to initiate romance scams.‍
• Investment opportunities. Beware of anyone who claims you can make a lot of money through “secret” or “special” investment opportunities or crypto platforms. Some scammers may even let you withdraw a small gain to pressure you into investing more.‍
• Suspicious links. Never click on links from spam messages or suspicious messages. Consider a safe browsing tool to protect you from phishing links and viruses.‍
• They won’t answer when you call. If you try to call the WhatsApp number that is messaging you, scammers likely won’t answer.

• Set up two-factor authentication (2FA). This requires a secondary authentication method to make changes to your WhatsApp account — protecting it against scammers who try to hijack your number.

• Create a family and friends “password”. This is a password or phrase that you and your loved ones can use to confirm your identity — even if you can’t answer a phone call or go on video.

• Call to confirm. Whenever someone you know claims to be in trouble, call to confirm you’re actually speaking to them.

• Change the default PIN on your voicemail. Protect your voicemail with a unique pin that hackers cannot guess. Here’s how to change your voicemail password on IOS, Android, and Windows devices.

• Report scams to WhatsApp. This helps WhatsApp shut down similar scams in the future. To report scammers, open your chat with them, tap on the contact name, and then report contact and report and block.