Multiple Faces Detected
March 14th, 2023
In recent years, Whatsapp has become a very popular tool to use for people looking to make calls internationally without having to pay. The app is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform that has centralized instant messaging and voice-over-IP service. Just like every other app, scam artists are not hard to find. People have been taken advantage of by these scam artists on this app. If you’re fortunate enough to catch them before they trick you into giving them money, you can take steps towards reporting the fake accounts, so that you prevent them from scamming other unsuspecting users. Keep reading to learn how to report fake accounts on WhatsApp, the types of scams that are often seen on the app and who to report a WhatsApp number to.
Whatsapp Scammer List
Scammers have a list of scams that they’ll typically try to utilize. Here’s a list that will help you identify all of their deceptive tactics:
Family Member Impersonations
This scam makes a lot of sense. Think about it. Who do family members trust the most in this world? Their own family. This is why many scammers will try to pose as a family member in an effort to extort money from them.
The most common theme of this scam is the “Hi Mom, Hi Dad” line. The scammer will often try to pose as a the parent’s child, using a new number. Some of the techniques are claiming their online bank account isn’t working or that they’ve lost files and pictures. These are strategies that they use to get money or personal information from their victims.
To protect yourself against this particular scam, you should message or call the old number to make sure the new one is really them. Do not interact with the new number until you have confirmed the child really did get a new number.
Broken Phone Scam
This particular scam involves the person posing as a friend, claiming that their phone has broken and they now have a new number. The scam artist will then use the “push payment fraud”. This is a technique where they urgently ask for money to pay a bill, a fine, or a similar sort of payment.
The way to avoid being fooled by this scam is to ask for proof of identity from the person you’re interacting with. Do not give any money or personal information before any verification of their identity.
Wrong Number Scam
The wrong number scam is the sloppiest work from these scammers, but that won’t stop them from trying to use it. This involves them introducing themselves and their business from an unknown number through a message. They’ll ask for somebody specifically (e.g. Jim, Sam).
Once the contacted person makes it clear to the scammer that they have the wrong person, the scammer will apologize for contacting them and say it’s the wrong number. Then they will attempt to pitch their business, service, or product to you anyway to get you to invest. They might even ask you for your name and where you’re from.
To avoid this type of scam, you shouldn’t reply to the number. Businesses that are reputable and legitimate will not reach out to people for investments over WhatsApp.
“Complete This Survey” Scam
What this scam entails are scammers sending people surveys to complete about their experience using WhatsApp. At the start of it, it’ll ask for payment information to receive cash prizes.
Earlier this year, there was a survey offering free Amazon gifts upon completion of the survey. Don’t fall for it. Surveys are the most common tactic scammers use to dupe folks out of their money.
Most people hate when businesses ask for surveys on how their service was and often end up ignoring them anyway. You’re better off going with that notion whether it be in person or online.
Romance Scam
Contrary to popular belief, but Tinder is not the only place you’ll run into this type of scam. Dating apps are fertile ground for these kinds of scams which is why efficient in hunting down and banning accounts trying to extort money from people. Dating apps even allow users to block and report accounts that act suspiciously.
Because of the measures dating apps have in place to prevent extortion, the scammers often resort to WhatsApp to carry out their nefarious deeds. On WhatsApp, scammers would victims to a group of people seeking relationships.
The link provided to them would redirect them to a fake Facebook page that stole their personal information when they filled it in the fields.
To avoid this scam, never put your personal information into a link sent to you by an unverified number for a major site.
“You’ve Won Something!” Scam
Do I really need to even explain this one?
No, you haven’t won anything. You’re not that special. Sorry.
In all seriousness, you see these practically everyday and they should automatically be disregarded completely. It’s like money falling out of the sky. It’s completely unreal and shouldn’t warrant your attention, energy and time.
If you’re wondering how to avoid this scam, ignore it outright.
Crypto Scam
This has become a scam popular in the past year in India where the scammers promise a near 100% return on your money investment in bitcoin. They claim to be analysts but there are no names revealed, no company details or website addresses and the people contacted never consented to be added to the groups.
They use other people to claim and confirm that their investing really does work. This scam uses the power of confirmation by other people that are also in on the scam.
Whatsapp Scammer Pictures
There are some common themes among all scammers whether it be on WhatsApp or any other social media and dating app platform when it comes to pictures. Here’s 3 themes to watch out for:
- They’ll have pictures that look blurry and have low quality
- The pictures will be of something or someone that looks really good
- The person’s grammar doesn’t match the nationality in the picture
How To Track A Scammer On WhatsApp
Sadly, there is no way to track a scammer on WhatsApp. The reason why is because the scammers don’t use personal numbers to interact with their victims. The numbers are created online to conceal their true identity. This same number is used for verifications.
In many cases, they’ll use identities of real people and act as if they’re the person they’re pretending to be. This is a classic catfishing case.
Reporting Fake Accounts
To know how to report fake accounts on Whatsapp, you have to open the conversation and tap on the three dots in the top-right corner. Then, select “More” and “Report Contact.” You will be given the option to report the contact as spam or as containing inappropriate content.
Select the appropriate option and then tap “Confirm.” Once you have reported the contact, WhatsApp will take appropriate action. In some cases, the account may be banned outright.
In others, the account may be placed under restrictions, such as being unable to send messages to groups. Regardless of the outcome, reporting fake accounts helps to keep WhatsApp a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
