Grandchild trick on WhatsApp is increasing: "People long for someone they care about"
Created: 08/19/2022, 17:05
By: Stella Henrich
Beware of WhatsApp scammers.
In Bavaria alone, fraudsters stole money in the five-digit range from innocent victims using the so-called grandchild trick.
Most retirees fall for this scam.
Munich – If you haven't experienced it yourself, you can hardly believe it.
It calls an unknown person and pretends to be a grandchild.
The caller tells a shocking story.
He caused a serious accident with the car, and a close relative now needs cash or a deposit very quickly.
Those affected are usually in shock, do not think about it and want to help immediately.
Sometimes the caller poses as a police officer who has been hired by a relative to solicit money from the "victim".
Because the victims have little or no contact with the outside world in real life, they long to have someone who cares about them.
Psychologist Susann Lorenz from the Ueckermünde Clinic
Consumer advocates warn again and again about this scam on the phone.
But now the scammers are apparently looking for new ways to get in touch with their supposed victims.
The grandchildren's trick is celebrating its big comeback via WhatsApp, writes
Stern.de
.
Police authorities across the country reported new victims every day.
The officials are talking about damage of 500,000 euros in Hamburg alone this year, the magazine continues.
In Bavaria, too, the scam is said to have caused damage in the five-digit range this year.
A pensioner from Kaufbeuren transferred several thousand euros to his supposed son in this way.
This is how scammers use WhatsApp:
The scammers pose as the victims' children, grandchildren or nephews and claim they now have a new number. The salutation is personal, such as "Hi Papa", "Hi Grandpa!". names are avoided. The messages are often peppered with emojis. After the victim responds, it quickly becomes a question of money: Sometimes a car breakdown is faked, sometimes there isn’t enough money for the rent or online banking doesn’t work. The victims are supposed to help out – by opening their wallets.
Grandchild trick on WhatsApp: Isolated people often fall for the scam
Despite warnings in the media, the grandchild trick still works.
A psychologist from the Ueckermünde Clinic explains why this is so.
First of all, family ties are likely to have broken apart for most of the victims.
In their isolation and loneliness and with their longing for family, they would turn off all alarm signals.
Because the victims have little or no contact with the outside world in real life, they long to have someone who cares about them.
They tell themselves that if I help, I have a chance that he will also be there for me, explains the psychologist at
Nordkurier.de
.
Maria Pavlova, head of the Department of Psychological Gerontology at the University of Vechta, also warns of the scam in an interview with
Kreiszeitung.de
.
The older generation is becoming increasingly digital, but is losing sight of data protection.
It is important to support the older generation.
Family contacts need to be strengthened.
In addition, great care must be taken to protect the privacy of family information.
Grandson trick via WhatsApp: the police advise WhatsApp users
Agree on code words
for sensitive phone calls and chats
with your relatives .
Do not under any circumstances delete the
chat history
–
the police need him to be able to investigate.
Check the contact:
Who are you dealing with on WhatsApp?
Is this the person you really know?
Ask specific questions that only the person you really know can answer.
Check your picture:
Protect your picture on WhatsApp so only your contacts can see your picture.
Be
extremely suspicious of
requests for money transfers
via WhatsApp and other messaging services
.
If it turns out to be a scam, report it
to
the police.
Since the perpetrators often access publicly available data to select their victims, it is advisable not
to
publish
your own number on the Internet
.
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If you still fall for the WhatsApp scam, you shouldn't be ashamed, but urgently seek help, advise experts.
The Internet is also full of traps, tricksters and scammers.
The Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA) recently warned against an e-mail on behalf of the federal government.
However, this was a fake, deceptively real-looking website for tapping credit card data.