An alarm has been sounded over a surge in WhatsApp scams targeting unsuspecting residents, with fraudsters impersonating loved ones to steal sensitive information and drain bank accounts.
Cybercriminals are hacking accounts and exploiting trust to trick victims into sharing personal details, prompting police to urge citizens and residents to verify every request – even from close family members, including sons and daughters, as well as familiar contacts – before responding.
Hidd Police Station head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar issued the warning after highlighting a recent case during the Al Aman social media programme.
The incident involved a mother who was deceived by a scammer posing as her daughter.
“The mother received a message from her ‘daughter’ asking for a copy of her CPR. When the mother questioned why, the ‘daughter’ hurriedly replied – only via WhatsApp – that she would explain later and requested a photo of the CPR,” Col Dr Bahar said.
“The mother didn’t ask further questions and sent a photo of her ID card. Shortly after, the ‘daughter’ asked for a photo of the other side of the card, and the mother complied.”
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There were requests for more details and before long, the mother realised to her shock that money had been withdrawn from her account.
“All her funds were gone,” Col Dr Bahar said.
“It was eventually discovered that the daughter’s WhatsApp account had been hacked, and the person communicating with the mother was a scammer – not her daughter. The mother lost all her money.
“This is why you should not trust any conversations or messages, even from accounts of people who are close to you.
“It does not hurt to call the person, no matter who they are, and verify and double-check why they need that information. This is an important matter that concerns your accounts, especially your bank accounts.
“Please be aware and remain vigilant. Do not just accept any message that comes your way – always make sure they are who they say they are.”
The GDN reported in May last year that scammers were masquerading as friends and family and using targeted social engineering to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
It followed several online reports about fraudsters gathering information on possible victims and researching them beforehand to adopt a more personalised approach to stealing money.
Fraudsters try to convince the victim that they are a friend or family member to gain their trust, and will either say that they need money for something, or will invite victims to a WhatsApp or Telegram group aimed at draining their bank accounts.
Officers have been urging citizens and residents to take the time to question any message they receive, whether it’s through email, social media or WhatsApp.
Individuals who have been compromised need to contact their banks as soon as possible to report the crime and ask them to freeze or cancel their bank card. Victims should also reset passwords on accounts across services they use as the fraudster may use them in future.
They should report the crime immediately by contacting the cybercrime hotline by calling 992.
To learn about the latest scam methods, citizens and residents can join the Financial and Cyber Crimes WhatsApp groups, available in Arabic and English. They can join the group by going to the @acees_bh Instagram page and clicking on the link in the bio.
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