Orihuela Police sound alarm on WhatsApp scam

Orihuela Local Police have issued a crucial warning to residents through social media regarding a rapidly spreading scam in the municipality.

They caution that if you receive a WhatsApp message from one of your contacts asking for a code or money transfer, you should be wary and avoid responding.

Ignoring such messages is crucial because hackers may gain access to your phone, initiating a deceptive scheme.

Several individuals in Orihuela have fallen victim to this scam, sending significant sums of money under the false belief that they were assisting friends or family.

The strategy of these cybercriminals involves sending a WhatsApp message to the victim, pretending to be a friend or family member.

They claim that their account has been compromised and request the recipient’s phone number to receive a verification code.

Once the victim provides the code, the cybercriminals take control of their phone, accessing all contacts and groups.

They then exploit these connections to solicit money, often through platforms like Bizum.

This scam circulated in other parts of the country at the end of last year and has now resurfaced in Orihuela.

The peril lies in the theft of your account and identity, to the extent that attempting to alert others in WhatsApp groups may result in your messages being blocked.

This scam spreads rapidly by infiltrating one phone after another, creating an extensive network of compromised accounts and contacts.