Criminals try to make their victims via WhatsApp to bring high sums of money. If you get a fraudulent message, quick action is required.

Dortmund-The fraud stitch is not a completely new attempt to bring WhatsApp users to your data or money. Since the stitch is still continuing and many people continue to fall for it, the State Criminal Police Office in Lower Saxony again warns of the perfidious trick.

WhatsApp fraud by message: This is my new cell phone number

Since 2021, reports via WhatsApp or SMS have been circulating again and again, with which criminals are trying to convince users that they are friends or family members. The stitch is always relatively similar (more digital news at ).

With an unknown number, the victims are written to the pretext that the SIM card or the cell phone is broken and that you have a new phone number. The LKA Lower Saxony gives some examples of the invented stories:

Earthquake

WhatsApp messages sound plausible-but thousands of euros end up with fraudsters

At first glance, the message sounds relatively personal and also plausible. The cybercriminals hope that the recipients give the whole belief, store the new number and report.

Once the fraudsters have made it so far, another message is usually not long in coming, in which the victims are asked for money via WhatsApp or SMS because you have problems with online banking due to the new telephone number. It is also promised to transfer the sum back to the parents promptly.

If the recipients follow the request from the WhatsApp message, the drama takes its course. Anyone who complies with this request has usually been transferred to several hundreds or thousands of euros to unknown people, warns the LKA.

WhatsApp fraud: What those affected can do according to the fraud stitch

If you have transferred money and notice it, you should inform the bank as soon as possible and ask them to stop the transfer. According to LKA, a quick reaction is crucial-a few minutes or hours can be too late.

You can also use screenshots from the WhatsApp talk to the police. However, the LKA estimates the chance of getting the money back as very low. After a short time, transfers would no longer be stopped. In addition, most of the reception accounts of the fraudsters are not in Germany. This significantly complicates the tracking and the refund.

How can you protect yourself from WhatsApp fraud? LKA and consumer protection give tips

The best protection of protecting yourself against fraud stitches via WhatsApp, email or SMS is therefore to be attentive and not even fall for the rip-off.

But that is often easier said than done-because the tricks of the criminals are becoming increasingly perfidious and more credible. Both the LKA and the consumer center still have some tips on how to protect yourself from it:

Rubric list picture: © Vlad deep/Panther media/Imago; Screenshot/State Criminal Police Office; Collage: Sabrina Wagner/