CID reports surge in complaints on scams through WhatsApp

A rise in complaints concerning money being solicited through WhatsApp messages has been observed, according to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) W. G. Jayanethsiri of the department stated that a large number of such complaints have been received by the CID over the past few days.

ASP Jayanethsiri further advised the public to exercise greater caution when using WhatsApp groups, as various scams of this nature have been on the rise.

He explained how the scam typically operates:

“The fraudsters first obtain the phone number of a person who holds a respected position in society. Then, they send a message that appears to match that person’s daily routine — for example, saying that there will be a Zoom meeting under a certain topic at a specific time and inviting them to log in.

When the recipient clicks the link provided, a message follows, asking them to share a code sent to confirm their participation in the meeting. That code is actually a One-Time Password (OTP) sent by WhatsApp itself.

Once the victim shares that OTP, the scammer gains full access to their WhatsApp account. Consequently, all personal information stored on the account becomes accessible to the fraudster.

The scammer then sends messages to the victim’s contacts, claiming to have an urgent problem and asking for money. Many people trust the message and transfer funds, unaware of the fraud.

Often, the account holder only realizes their WhatsApp has been compromised after several days — by which time, several others may already have fallen victim to the scam.”