In short
Fraudsters obtain control of a WhatsApp account and then use the trusted identity to deceive contacts The objective is typically to take over the account and use it to solicit money or sensitive information from contacts.
What it is
Messages appear to come from the victim or a known contact. The victim is then pushed to share verification codes, pair/login the account or respond to fraudulent money requests after takeover.
How it starts
Fraudsters obtain control of a WhatsApp account and then use the trusted identity to deceive contacts.
What they tell you
Messages appear to come from the victim or a known contact
What they want you to do
Share verification codes, pair/login the account or respond to fraudulent money requests after takeover
How you lose money
take over the account and use it to solicit money or sensitive information from contacts
What happens next
After the first successful step, the fraudster may demand more money/information, deepen account or device access, or disappear.
Warning signs
trust | urgency | social proof | account takeover | OTP theft | session hijack
Where this is documented
India — officially documented by an Indian authority/regulator
How to avoid it
Use MFA, unique passwords and official recovery paths; never share OTPs or pair/login devices for someone else; review active sessions regularly.
If it already happened
Contact the bank/payment provider immediately if money moved; report financial cyber fraud promptly via 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in; preserve messages, transaction IDs, phone numbers and URLs. From a clean device, revoke sessions, change credentials and review account recovery/security settings.