New fraud scheme detected in Azerbaijan on WhatsApp and social media
In recent days, there have been cases where accounts similar to those of citizens are created on the WhatsApp application and social media, after which relatives and acquaintances are contacted from them and asked, under various pretexts, to transfer money.
In such cases, cyber fraudsters create fake accounts using the name, photograph, and other data of an acquaintance, and then approach that person's close contacts with a request to urgently send money, 1news.az reports, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs urges citizens to be attentive and not to immediately trust suspicious messages received on behalf of acquaintances, especially if they contain a request to transfer money.
If you have received a message asking you to send money on behalf of an acquaintance, first of all contact that person by another means and verify the accuracy of the information — a matching name and profile photograph do not confirm that the account actually belongs to that person.
"If you discover suspicious accounts or messages, do not transfer money, do not disclose personal and banking data, and do not follow suspicious links. If you encounter cyber fraud, immediately contact the number '102' or reach out through the official accounts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on social media," the Ministry of Internal Affairs notes.
