In the past week, police have received over 100 reports of WhatsApp account hijacking scams, with total losses exceeding HK$18 million.
Among the cases, a 62-year-old female victim received a WhatsApp message from someone pretending to be her "good daughter," claiming that she wanted to buy stocks with friends and urgently needed money. The victim, without suspecting anything, immediately transferred money to the bank account provided by the fake "daughter." However, after checking with her real daughter later, she was shocked to learn that her daughter's WhatsApp account had been hijacked, and the impersonator had disappeared. The victim ultimately lost HK$400,000.
Police remind the public that no matter how familiar the friend or family member appears to be in a WhatsApp message asking for a loan, "you should stop and think twice," and always verify the person's identity by making a phone call. Scammers can hijack anyone's account and pretend to be someone you know to trick you into transferring money.
Four prevention tips:
- Enable two-step verification on your account;
- Regularly check and log out of unfamiliar linked devices;
- Never share your WhatsApp verification code or transfer code;
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links.
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