Bank customers and WhatsApp users face rising digital fraud scams across Latin America

Experts warn that account hijacking on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and online banking is becoming increasingly common. Immediate steps include disconnecting from the internet, changing passwords, enabling two‑factor authentication and securing the associated email address.

Bancolombia in Colombia issued alerts about phishing attempts that impersonate the bank through calls, texts, WhatsApp messages and emails, urging customers to verify communications only via official channels.

In Central America, phishing on WhatsApp remains a prevalent threat, with scammers sending unsolicited messages that create urgency, contain suspicious links and request personal or financial data. Users are advised to delete such messages, block the sender and report the incident to WhatsApp.

The Costa Rican Banking Association highlighted that fraudsters now use artificial‑intelligence tools to produce convincing fake videos, audio and images, making identity‑theft and fake investment schemes harder to detect. The association recommends verifying any unexpected financial request through official channels and using strong, unique passwords with two‑factor authentication.

A Chilean opinion piece stressed that corporate fraud often stems from weak internal controls, citing recent cases involving large financial losses. It recommends supplier validation, segregation of duties, dual approvals for critical changes and continuous monitoring with advanced analytics.

In Bangladesh, scammers impersonating Google support use AI‑generated voices to convince Gmail users to provide authentication codes via fraudulent links. Google advises users never to change passwords or share codes over the phone and to use hardware security keys for added protection.