This WhatsApp screen sharing scam cost one woman £20,000
In a disturbing example of how technology can be used against you, Felicity Campbell, a resident of Nottinghamshire, recently fell victim to an elaborate fraud involving WhatsApp’s screen-sharing feature. This one mistake cost her approximately £20,000.
How the scam unfolded
The incident began when Mrs. Campbell responded to a phishing email that appeared to be from TV Licensing, prompting her to enter her credit card details. Recognizing the scam, she quickly canceled her card. But just days later, the situation escalated.
She received a call from a man claiming to be from her bank, Nationwide. This caller referenced her previous phishing encounter and warned that her account might be compromised. To build trust, he provided specific details about her recent transactions and address, making the situation feel legitimate.
The scammer then requested Mrs. Campbell to continue the call via WhatsApp, claiming he needed to help her secure her accounts. It was at this point that she was persuaded to share her screen—a feature recently added to WhatsApp—allowing the scammer to view her private banking information and oversee her accounts.
Manipulation through fear
Over the next 90 minutes, the scammer guided Mrs. Campbell to transfer money between her accounts and into a Western Union account under the guise of securing her funds. He even persuaded her to take out a £25,000 loan, which he claimed was necessary to block a fraudulent loan supposedly taken out in her name. Only when Mrs. Campbell resisted making further transfers did the scammer break his polite demeanor, revealing his true intentions with abusive language.
Ultimately, the scam led to a loss of £20,000, much of which was transferred to accounts in India. Although Mrs. Campbell recovered some funds, the experience left a lasting impact.
Key lessons and precautions
- Be skeptical of unexpected calls: If someone contacts you claiming to be from a trusted institution, verify their identity through official channels before proceeding.
- Beware of screen sharing requests: Only use screen sharing with individuals you trust implicitly, especially for sensitive tasks like banking.
- Pressure and urgency are red flags: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to cloud judgment. Take your time and don’t let anyone rush you into actions you’re uncomfortable with.
- Watch out for official-sounding details: While scammers may know details like addresses or recent transactions, always confirm by calling back via official contact numbers.
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Comments
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Hi Bitdefender.
I have some questions regarding a possible scam. I had contact with a person through a WhatsApp number that was registered with +44 (England/ UK). We sent maybe around 50 messages back and forth. And I sent some money via Bybit unfortunenatly, (I hoped it was a good business opportunity). After a while I got suspicious and I decided to call the number instead. The recipient who answered then claimed it was the wrong number and claimed they lived in Malaysia and hunged up. I did not have time to get an answer what their supposedly real number was? So my questions are:
- Is it possible to send messages via WhatsApp without the owner of the number being aware of this?
- Does the owner of the number not see that text messages have been sent from their number?
- Doesn't the owner of the number see that a text conversation with lots of messages has been sent between their own number and a WhatsApp number?
- Is there any service that offers the possibility to find phone numbers in England/ UK?
Can anyone knowledgeable offer any kind of explanation for this case?
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Malaysia... there are many scammers there +44? Like me... I reported them directly to scami...
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I suggest you don't add people you don't know to your blacklist immediately. Meanwhile, there is a program group BBK in Malaysia that can help you or you can contact them through the Singapore police.
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In addition, the UK has an anti-fraud government police agency, and you can also try to contact them. If you have friends who have been scammed by the UK, please contact them if necessary. This is all the information I searched on the Internet.
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AI-generated images always have some flaws...
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Ok. Thanks. But do you have some knowledge about if it is possible to use someone else WhatsApp to send messages? Or should I assume that it is the people who answered the phone who are responsible? And is there any service in the UK how provides the possibility to check the source of phone numbers?
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https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
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Ok. So, Actionfraud probably could answer these questions?
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👌Good luck
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No, it's just my intuition. Also, if a girl at a nightclub adds you as a friend and invites you to her house to screw in the screws at night...don't go...
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This old lady is a senior agent of MI5, maybe she can help you...
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☝️This is just a little joke, it's an anti-fraud AI grandma invented by the British police!!!
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