If a WhatsApp message or call is unexpected, creates pressure, impersonates someone you know, asks for money or a code, or sends a link or download, treat it as a scam until you verify it independently. Stop responding, preserve evidence, report the sender in WhatsApp, block the account, and contact your bank or payment provider immediately if money or account access was involved.
Meta’s safety advice is simple: “PAUSE: Take time before you respond.” A few minutes spent checking the identity through a phone number or channel you already trust can prevent a payment, account takeover or malware installation.
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Warning signs of a WhatsApp scam
Scammers use familiar names, copied profile photos and convincing stories, but their requests usually contain one or more clear pressure points. One sign alone does not prove fraud; several together should end the conversation until you have verified the person or organisation elsewhere.
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Be cautious when a number you do not recognise suddenly contacts you, especially if the sender claims to be a relative, employer, bank, government office, delivery company or technical-support worker. A real acquaintance may have changed numbers, but you should confirm that change through a channel you already know is genuine rather than accepting the WhatsApp conversation as proof.
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Impersonation combined with urgency
Fraudsters often say they are a friend with a new number, a manager who needs a payment, an official investigating your account or a family member in an emergency. They may insist that you act immediately, keep the request secret or avoid calling anyone else. Urgency is a tactic to stop you checking the story. Meta recommends asking whether the unusual request makes sense and whether the sender is rushing you into action.
Requests for money, gift cards, PINs or one-time codes
A request for a bank transfer, cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, card number, personal identification number or one-time password is a major warning sign when it arrives unexpectedly. Never share a WhatsApp verification code with another person. Someone who obtains a code may be trying to register your account on another device or take over access.
Suspicious links and downloads
Do not tap a link merely because it uses a familiar logo or claims that you must “verify” your account, activate a feature, claim a prize or fix a security problem. WhatsApp’s official guidance identifies link-activation requests, spelling or grammatical mistakes and instructions to download an app as warning signs. A stranger should never direct you to install software, give remote access or enter payment details.
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Too-good-to-be-true offers and unexpected jobs
Prize claims, guaranteed investment returns, effortless income and unusually cheap products are common lures. Task scams may begin with an unsolicited WhatsApp job message and then demand a deposit, “unlock” fee or payment to receive wages. The US Federal Trade Commission puts the rule plainly: “Real employers will never contact you that way.” Never pay someone in order to get paid or to obtain a job.
Requests for personal information
Unexpected demands for your birth date, password, credit-card details, bank-account information or identity documents should be treated as suspicious. A genuine organisation can be contacted through its published website or statement; do not use a link or number supplied in the questionable message to perform that check.
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What to do in the first few minutes
Use this order when a message or call feels wrong. The sequence protects you from making the situation worse while keeping evidence available for reporting.
- Stop the conversation. Do not reply, argue, call back through the message, tap a link, download an app, send money or disclose a password, payment detail or one-time code. If you are on a call, end it.
- Preserve evidence before deleting anything. Take screenshots of the full conversation, the profile, phone number, links, payment instructions and any call details. Include dates and times where they appear. Keep receipts, bank references and messages from payment services.
- Verify independently. Contact the supposed friend, employer, business or agency using a phone number, email address, website or previous conversation that you already know is genuine. Do not use contact information supplied by the suspicious sender.
- Report the account or call in WhatsApp. Use the chat or profile’s Report action. WhatsApp allows a report to include up to five of the sender’s recent messages. For a reported call, WhatsApp may receive basic information about up to five recent calls.
- Block the sender. Reporting gives WhatsApp information; blocking prevents further WhatsApp messages, calls and status updates from that account. Do both when contact is unwanted.
- Escalate outside WhatsApp when appropriate. Use the route for your country and the type of harm, such as a bank, a government fraud service or a mobile-carrier reporting number.
- Act on financial or account exposure immediately. Contact the bank or payment provider through its official number, explain what happened and ask what protective action is available. Change exposed passwords and secure the affected account.
How to verify who is contacting you
Use a channel you chose before the incident
If a “family member” says they have a new number, call the old number, use an established family group, or ask a question only the real person would answer. If the caller claims to represent a company or agency, end the WhatsApp conversation and find the organisation’s number on a statement, card or independently typed official website. A search result or social-media profile supplied by the sender is not independent verification.
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Ask for a voice or video confirmation, then verify the route
WhatsApp advises confirming identity with a voice or video call, but the safest approach is to place that call yourself through a known number or channel. A video image, profile photo or familiar writing style can be copied. Verification is about the communication path, not how convincing the profile looks.
Check whether the request makes practical sense
Pause and ask why the person needs a gift card, PIN, one-time code, remote-access app or urgent transfer. Consider whether the amount, deadline and secrecy request match your normal dealings with that person or organisation. A demand that cannot tolerate a short verification call is a strong reason not to proceed.
How to report and block a WhatsApp message
WhatsApp’s labels can vary slightly by phone and app version, but the Report control is available from the conversation or the contact’s profile.
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- Open the suspicious chat and, if necessary, the contact or group information screen.
- Choose Report (on some screens it appears in a three-dot menu or alongside the contact details).
- Follow the confirmation prompts. WhatsApp can receive the sender’s recent messages associated with the report; the sender or group is not notified that you reported them.
- Choose Block when offered, or open the contact information again and select Block.
- Delete the chat only after you have captured the evidence you may need for your bank, carrier or law-enforcement report.
Reporting and blocking have different purposes. Reporting sends information to WhatsApp for review; blocking stops that account from sending you WhatsApp messages, calling you or viewing your status updates. A report by itself does not prevent further contact, so use the block control as well.
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Do not stay on a suspicious call to collect information. End it, save the call entry and screenshot the caller’s number, profile and any follow-up messages. From the call record or the caller’s profile, use WhatsApp’s Report action and then block the number. WhatsApp says a call report may include basic information about up to five recent calls, which is why keeping the call history intact can help.
If the caller asked for a payment, code, app installation or remote access, treat the incident as more than nuisance contact. Follow the financial and account-protection steps below even if you did not complete the request. A call that contains no demand but appears suspicious can still be reported to WhatsApp and, in the UK, to the mobile-carrier service described later.
Where to escalate the scam
The right external route depends on your country, the communication channel and whether money or account access is at risk. Preserve the same core evidence—screenshots, number, links, call details and payment records—for each report.
| Situation | Route | What to provide or do | Can it stop WhatsApp contact? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any WhatsApp scam | WhatsApp Report, followed by Block | Chat or profile details; WhatsApp can receive up to five recent messages, or basic information about up to five recent calls | Blocking stops WhatsApp messages, calls and status updates |
| UK general fraud | Report Fraud | Describe the scam and provide screenshots, number, links and payment evidence | No; keep the WhatsApp account blocked |
| UK suspicious call | Text 7726 with the word “Call” and the caller’s number | Send the requested call-report text to the carrier service | Carrier filtering may help with calls; WhatsApp blocking is still required for WhatsApp contact |
| UK HMRC impersonation | Email a screenshot to [email protected] | Include the impersonation message or call evidence and the number used | No; report and block in WhatsApp separately |
| US scam or attempted fraud | ReportFraud.ftc.gov | Submit the sender’s details, screenshots, links, payment information and a description of what happened | No; use WhatsApp’s Block control as well |
People outside the UK and US should use their national fraud-reporting authority, police or telecommunications regulator, while still reporting and blocking inside WhatsApp. If money has moved, the bank or payment service is the urgent first contact regardless of where you live.
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If you sent money or disclosed a code
Contact the bank or payment provider immediately
Use the number on your card, statement or the provider’s independently opened app—not a number in the WhatsApp message. Explain that the payment was induced by a scam and ask whether a transfer, card payment or wallet transaction can be stopped, recalled or disputed. Provide the payment reference, recipient details, time and amount. Speed matters because recovery options can depend on whether the funds have already been moved.
Secure accounts after a password or code exposure
If you disclosed a password, change it from the service’s genuine sign-in page and do not reuse it elsewhere. If a WhatsApp verification code was shared, review account access and follow WhatsApp’s official account-recovery instructions. Tell close contacts that your account may be targeted so they do not trust unusual requests appearing to come from you.
Do not pay a second “recovery” fee
Scammers often return after an initial loss, claiming they can retrieve the money for an upfront charge or need another code to close the case. Treat that approach as another scam. Give evidence to your bank, payment provider and the relevant reporting authority instead.
Keep a complete incident record
Store screenshots, dates, numbers, payment confirmations, email headers and the names of people you contacted at your bank or provider. Do not edit the original files. A clear timeline helps the provider understand what happened and prevents you from having to reopen the blocked chat just to find basic details.
Common WhatsApp scam patterns
“I have a new number” family scam
The sender claims to be a child, partner or friend whose phone was lost and asks for an urgent transfer. The profile photo may be copied from a public account. Call the person’s established number or another family member before discussing money. Never let the sender dictate the only channel you use to verify them.
Employer or task scam
An unsolicited message promises quick earnings for rating products, completing simple tasks or depositing money into an account. The apparent balance can be fictional, and each stage may demand another payment. The FTC’s advice applies: a legitimate employer does not require you to pay to obtain a job or to receive wages.
Government or tax impersonation
A scammer may threaten arrest, penalties or account closure while claiming to be a tax office or other authority. Do not use the supplied link or number. In the UK, HMRC impersonation can be reported with a screenshot to [email protected], and general fraud can be reported to Report Fraud.
Prize, investment or shopping offer
Unexpected prizes and guaranteed returns are designed to make the reward feel more important than the verification. Requests for a “processing” payment, card details or an app download are reasons to stop. Check the offer through a website or phone number you locate independently.
“Activate this feature” or “fix your account” message
WhatsApp’s warning signs include a request to tap a link to activate a feature and instructions to download an app. Close the message and use the app’s normal settings or official help route instead. No stranger needs your password, payment details or one-time code to protect your account.
How to preserve useful evidence
- Capture the sender’s profile name, phone number and profile image.
- Screenshot the entire conversation, including the first contact, promises, threats, links and payment instructions.
- Save the call log, date, time and duration for suspicious calls.
- Copy links without opening them and record any requested app name, bank details, wallet address or gift-card instructions.
- Keep bank statements, transfer references, receipts and support-ticket numbers.
- Write a short timeline while events are fresh: when contact began, what you sent, what the scammer asked for and which accounts you contacted.
Evidence should be collected without continuing the conversation. Do not forward a malicious link to friends “as a warning”; send a screenshot or plain description instead.
What happens after a WhatsApp report
WhatsApp’s reporting process sends the relevant account information and recent content for review, but it does not guarantee an immediate account removal or refund. The reported user or group is not told that you made the report. Because reporting and blocking solve different problems, complete both actions and use an external authority when the scam involves money, threats, impersonation or a suspicious phone call.
Deleting a chat is optional and should come after evidence collection. If you need to report to a bank, carrier or government service later, the screenshots and payment records are more useful than an inaccessible memory of the conversation.
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- Make “pause and verify” your rule for every unexpected request, even when the profile appears to belong to someone familiar.
- Keep passwords, payment details, PINs and one-time codes out of WhatsApp conversations.
- Never install an app or grant remote access because a stranger says it is required to receive money, fix an account or complete a job.
- Tell family members and colleagues that you will verify urgent payment requests by voice or through a known number.
- After an incident, warn the people whose names or contact lists may be used in a follow-up impersonation attempt.
Meta said that 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to criminal scam centres were taken down in the first half of 2025. That enforcement does not make every new message safe: scammers can create or switch accounts, so your independent verification and rapid reporting remain the practical safeguards.
Quick Recap
Quick decision checklist
- Unexpected contact? Stop and verify through a known channel.
- Money, gift card, PIN or code requested? Do not send it.
- Link or download offered? Do not tap or install.
- Evidence captured? Save screenshots, call details and payment records.
- WhatsApp report completed? Report the chat, profile or call.
- Further contact blocked? Block the sender after reporting.
- Financial or account exposure? Contact the bank or payment provider immediately and secure the account.
- Country-specific escalation needed? Use Report Fraud, 7726, [email protected] or ReportFraud.ftc.gov as applicable.
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