A new WhatsApp scam has been reported in Oristano . The state police issued a statement urging residents to exercise extreme caution .

The mechanism is particularly insidious because the request for money comes from the account of a friend of the victim who is present in his or her contacts.

Specifically, by compromising or unlawfully taking over the data subject's account, scammers send messages to the person's contacts, simulating a difficult situation and asking for an urgent bank transfer, promising to return the sum the following day.

"Hi my friend," some messages read, "it's not letting me send a bank transfer of €1,290. Could you give it to me instantly? I'll give it back to you right away tomorrow, I promise."

The request, apparently credible because it comes from the profile of a friend or acquaintance, is aimed at inducing the recipient to quickly make a bank transfer, often instant, to an IBAN indicated by the scammer.

The State Police therefore recommends never making money transfers based solely on a request received via WhatsApp, even when the message appears to come from a known person.

"When faced with requests of this type," the police statement specifies, "it is essential to contact the friend or family member directly via a regular phone call, without relying exclusively on the WhatsApp conversation, personally verifying that the request is actually attributable to the interested party."

It is also advisable to "pay particular attention to requests characterised by urgency, large amounts, instant bank transfers or indication of current accounts in the name of persons other than the alleged sender."

“If you suspect that your WhatsApp account has been compromised,” the note concludes, “it is important to immediately notify your contacts, check the devices linked to your account, and activate available security measures .”

(Unioneonline/vl)

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