The police are warning of another attempt at fraud.
Criminals are apparently trying to exempt older people via WhatsApp.
It's the digital version of a well-known trick.
Munich - WhatsApp has long since been used by young people.
Many seniors are also familiar with the messenger service and use it to communicate with family members, friends or acquaintances.
As in "real" life, however, there are also digital reports of attempted fraud.
In focus: the elderly as a supposedly more gullible target group.
Now there is a new trick that has apparently migrated from the analog telephone to the smartphone and is playing on the popular WhatsApp communication platform: the grandchildren's trick.
WhatsApp: Police warn of new scam - "grandchildren" with unknown number
The number of cases across Germany is increasing, and the police are forced to issue a public warning.
The scam found is a perfidious further development: the planned victim is contacted by someone else's telephone number via WhatsApp, in the message the person pretends to be a grandchildren / granddaughter or daughter / son.
With the reference that you have lost your mobile phone and have a new smartphone, the person who has been identified is asked to transfer money to a specific account.
The alleged relative can allegedly no longer do internet banking and has to pay an outstanding bill, according to the messages.
The amount would then be transferred back very quickly as soon as you had access to the bank account again.
A promise that will of course not be kept.
Such a case was first known from Wolfsburg, but there are now descriptions from other regions as well.
Grandchildren's trick on WhatsApp: when in doubt, be careful
This is how you can protect yourself or your parents / grandparents against the grandchildren's trick on WhatsApp:
Talk to older people about it and raise awareness.
As a person concerned: Contact the alleged sender of the message on the old telephone number.
Call the new number and see if you really can hear the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
The "grandchildren's trick" is by no means the only scam that is circulating on WhatsApp.
The Lower Bavaria police are warning of another attempt at fraud, which recently took place with some people:
With regard to data protection, messenger services like WhatsApp have been viewed critically for a long time.
Now the provider feels compelled to explain - and at the same time criticizes the competition.
(PF)
