Scammers are posing as children in distress to extort money from parents on WhatsApp. The fraud was reported by Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.
This is unfortunately the period, but malicious campaigns are multiplying, such as techniques using fraudulent SMS, and the one reported this month by Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr is frankly not reassuring. Scammers send text messages impersonating children, sometimes with messages with an alarming tone, claiming an emergency or a problem, with their phone for example. In reality, the approach has only one objective: to attract the most distraught parents on WhatsApp and extract money from them. Identifying fraud and what to do if you are a victim, here is how to do it.
Scammers play on the sensitive card of the child in danger, to trap parents
Here is an example of a fraudulent message: “ Hello mom, it’s me. I had a problem with my phone number, it’s my temporary number. Send me a message on WhatsApp, on this number as soon as possible! I won’t be able to answer you here anymore as I no longer have credit, I have to talk to you about something… »
Malicious individuals exploit parental trust in this way by sending SMS messages pretending to be children in distress. The message often mentions a problem with the phone and then asks parents to contact their child on another number, using WhatsApp. The point here is to convince the targeted people to send money to solve the so-called problem.
This rather diabolical phishing technique can suggest the loss, breakage or theft of the smartphone, without forgetting the last minute financial problem. The money is then requested from the parents in different ways: by transfer, by sending payment coupon codes (Neosurf, PCS, Transcash) or by sending the bank card details of the or one of the parents .
Never send money to anyone until you are 100% sure of their identity
Once that is said, it’s time to exchange the keys to protect yourself from such an accident. Faced with these messages, it is essential not to respond and, obviously, never to send money before having confirmed the identity of the child. Parents must first contact their child directly through usual means of communication, to check the situation and make the right decision.
Remember also that attempted fraud must be reported, either on the Internet-signalement.gouv.fr platform, or on the 33700 site, or by SMS to the same number. If you are unfortunately the victim of such a scam, you must immediately alert your bank if there has been a transfer, and object if you have transmitted your banking information. Any item or exchange must be kept to support the filing of a complaint that you will have to make.
Yes, filing a complaint is essential for victims, whether at the police station, the gendarmerie brigade or in writing to the public prosecutor. The Interior Ministry’s Info Scams service on 0 805 805 817 also offers free advice to support victims in their efforts.
Source : Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr
5