Overview
- Galician police have reported a marked increase in complaints about criminals taking over WhatsApp identities and using those accounts to request money from the victims' contacts.
- Investigators say victims often keep normal access to their phones while fraudsters send messages that do not appear on the victim's device, which makes the scam harder to spot.
- In Córdoba, Argentina, a probe into a WhatsApp fraud against an 80‑year‑old led to ten search orders, seizure of electronic devices, seven imputations and four arrests after transfers of about 9,000,000 pesos.
- Authorities and security specialists warn the frauds now exploit WhatsApp's single‑view images and urgent threats to create panic, pushing targets to move money quickly to accounts controlled by criminals.
- Police urge simple technical and verification steps—update apps and phone software, enable two‑step verification, never share SMS or QR codes, confirm money requests by phone and report scams to WhatsApp and police—while forensic analysis of seized devices continues and prosecutions proceed.