WhatsApp scam alert: Emergency money scams & what to do

Last Thursday, my WhatsApp was compromised. My contacts started receiving messages in Spanish asking for between €500 and €900, apparently because I was desperate to make a payment.

I couldn’t see any of these messages so when someone asked me by WhatsApp if I had sent the last message I replied yes, not knowing what they were seeing. Then I got the first worried calls from family and colleagues and only after sharing screenshots, we realised what was happening.

My dear friend sent €500 without thinking twice.  Even though the message was in Spanish, and we never speak Spanish together,  as she pointed out afterwards, when I’m stressed or panicking, I do revert to Spanish!!

Something in the next message made her realise it wasn’t me. She went to the police and hopefully she will get her money back. (Looking for the positive in all this: how lovely to know someone cares enough to send me money, no questions asked).

This is how they trick us, by creating panic: the scammers’ plan is to catch us off guard.

I’ve been told I also need to report the incident to the National Police. I have copies of the bank account details supplied.

To resolve the issue, I had to delete WhatsApp, then immediately download and reactivate it so as not to lose my Whatsapp number to someone else.  I lost photos and information, but above all, someone else had lost money while trying to help me.

Years back, we created a family secret word so our children would know a message really came from us. Perhaps it’s time we all had one, particularly now that AI can clone our voices too.