Sunday, 11 October 2026 ⚠️ Real Incident

WhatsApp Scams Warning: How Criminals Impersonate Relatives for Money

Criminals are increasingly using WhatsApp to trick South Africans into transferring money by pretending to be family members in an emergency. South Africans lost R2.4 billion to digital banking fraud in 2025 across 110,000 incidents, largely driven by social engineering.

What happened

Criminals send messages on WhatsApp pretending to be a relative who urgently needs financial help. They claim their phone is broken or their banking app is not working to create panic. In some cases, scammers take over real WhatsApp accounts by stealing six-digit SMS verification codes. They then message contacts using the genuine profile and chat history to request money.

How it worked

The scam relies on social engineering, which manipulates victims into transferring money themselves. First, the fraudster invents an emergency to cause ten minutes of panic so victims act before thinking. Next, they request an urgent payment or use social media details to build trust. Finally, they count on parents opening banking apps and paying without calling to check.

How to protect yourself

• Always call your relative on a previously saved, trusted phone number before transferring any money.
• Establish a secret family code word to confirm identities whenever urgent money requests occur.
• Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp and never share your six-digit SMS registration code.

Source: Daily Investor