Spain's WhatsApp scams cost victims average €577, Kaspersky reports

A Kaspersky study of messaging‑app fraud in Spain finds victims lose an average of €577 per incident. About 14 % of those targeted hand over money or data within five minutes of the first message, and 64.4 % of scams are completed in under thirty minutes. The frauds often begin with a spoofed SMS that pushes the conversation to WhatsApp, where perpetrators use urgent threats – fake fines, withheld packages or a relative in need – to force rapid Bizum transfers. Two variants dominate: the “son in trouble” narrative and AI‑generated voice clones that can mimic a family member’s speech in seconds.

The report also shows that 7.5 % of victims suffer losses exceeding €1 150, while only 31.2 % report the crime to police and 26.7 % inform their bank. Millennials are the most vulnerable group, accounting for 40 % of investment‑related scams. Kaspersky warns that organized criminal networks are industrialising these attacks, exploiting AI and multichannel tactics to drain household finances.