A 75-year-old grandfather has lost £1,550 intended for Christmas presents after falling victim to a sophisticated WhatsApp scam. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was tricked by fraudsters posing as his granddaughter on the messaging service.
The scammers sent a message to the victim's son, claiming the granddaughter had a medical emergency involving haemorrhoids and needed money for private care. The correct spelling of her unusual name convinced the family it was genuine, and the grandfather transferred the funds.
Attempts to contact the granddaughter directly failed as calls went to voicemail. Only after the money was paid did they reach her and realise they had been duped. 'You feel such a fool,' the grandfather said. 'I used to run my own business, so if they can fool people like me, a lot of very vulnerable people will be in trouble.'
He is seeking a refund from his bank, but they have refused, stating their fraud checks were sufficient. Trading standards officers warn that such scams are becoming more common, with 59% of people surveyed having received a message-based scam attempt in the past year.
Louise Baxter, head of the National Trading Standards scams team, said: 'These kinds of scams are particularly cruel as they prey on our kindness and desire to help friends and family.' WhatsApp advises users to call or request a voice note to verify the identity of anyone making unusual requests.
