Cybersecurity authorities warn of rising WhatsApp and email fraud

Cybersecurity experts and authorities in Germany and Portugal are warning of increasingly sophisticated digital fraud schemes targeting individuals through messaging apps, email, and social engineering.

In Germany, scammers are using WhatsApp to impersonate known contacts, often asking victims to vote for a participant in a contest via a malicious link. Additionally, fraudulent emails are circulating that use the likeness of ZDF news presenters to falsely promote weight-loss products like Wegolyn, utilizing AI-generated imagery to appear legitimate.

In Portugal, the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS) and the Bank of Portugal have issued alerts regarding WhatsApp scams where criminals impersonate family members in emergencies to solicit money. Experts from Panda Security note that these scams succeed by exploiting human psychology and social engineering, creating a false sense of authority or urgency to bypass a victim's natural suspicion.