Modern means of communication offer lots of new opportunities – unfortunately for criminals too. Unfortunately, a well-known scam is currently becoming very successful again on Whatsapp.
Chatting quickly with friends, sharing pictures with family and a short video call with the children: Whatsapp is very popular with Germans because of its versatile communication options. But the fact that even grandparents now use Messenger as a matter of course also makes it dangerous: The grandchild trick is currently celebrating its big comeback via WhatsApp.
This is shown by numerous warnings from the police throughout Germany. Every day, the authorities across the country report new victims. It’s hard to say how big the scale really is. A few weeks ago, the authorities in the metropolis of Hamburg reported damage of more than 500,000 euros this year alone. But even in small districts like Diepholz (about 220,000 inhabitants), according to the authorities, damage totaled 64,000 euros in the last quarter.
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That’s how criminals work
Although the content of the messages varies, the process is always the same. The scammers pose as the victims’ children, grandchildren or nephews and claim they now have a new number. The salutation is personal, such as “Hi Papa”. names are avoided. The messages are often peppered with emojis. After a response from the victim, things quickly get down to business: Sometimes a car breakdown is faked, sometimes there isn’t enough money for the rent or online banking doesn’t work. The victims should help out – by opening their wallets.
Unfortunately, many people still seem to fall for it, especially older people. Of the 83 cases reported in Diepholz last quarter, 26 were successful, police said. For many of the victims, it is not just a scam. If the perpetrators were successful, they often try to further evade the people concerned. A victim in Mayen is said to have lost a six-figure sum, reports the Koblenz police.
How to react correctly
As early as March, the LKA named various methods of protecting oneself from fraud attempts. If an unknown person reports, skepticism is therefore generally advisable. If it is claimed that you know each other, it makes sense to verify this using older phone numbers. Requests from chat partners to delete the old number should under no circumstances be given in to. You should not give the new contact any information and certainly no money transfers. If it’s clear they’re scammers, the best advice is to capture the conversation with screenshots, block the number, and report it to the police.
To make it difficult for the scammers, you can also take a few other measures. With Whatsapp, for example, you can hide your profile picture and online status from people who you have not saved as a contact yourself. This makes it difficult for scammers to estimate their own age. Since the perpetrators often access publicly available data to select their victims, it is also advisable not to publish your own number on the Internet.
Sources: Koblenz police, Diepholz police
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