Palma WhatsApp scam: friends asked for up to €1,000

WhatsApp users in Palma, Mallorca, can keep using their accounts as normal while scammers send urgent requests for money to people they know. National Police said on 2 September that it had received a run of similar reports in recent weeks. The messages usually seek between €950 and €1,000 from friends, relatives or acquaintances.

The account holder may not spot anything wrong. The false messages do not appear on their phone, but they do show in the genuine chat histories of those receiving them. Many only discover the impersonation when a contact calls or gets in touch another way to ask whether they really need money.

How the scammers use familiar contacts

Police say the fraudsters target people who already know the account holder, using that trust to make the request look believable. They may claim a phone has broken, say a replacement costs €980 to €1,000, or insist they cannot make a bank transfer themselves.

They then press for a quick payment, including €980 for supposed bills or €995 through an instant transfer. Rather than asking for money to be sent to the victim’s own account, they provide details for an alleged seller or another person.

What police say to do

Checking WhatsApp’s “Linked devices” section may not reveal an unfamiliar device, police said. A clean list therefore does not prove that an account has not been compromised.

National Police advise people to warn family, friends and other contacts by phone call, text or email so they ignore money requests sent through WhatsApp. WhatsApp or SMS codes, two-step verification PINs and QR codes should never be shared.

Police also recommend installing the latest compatible security updates and the newest WhatsApp version, and switching on WhatsApp two-step verification. Anyone targeted by the scam should report the impersonation through WhatsApp’s official support channels and file a police report.

Topics: Police

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com