WhatsApp and SMS scams surge in Spain and Mexico

Kaspersky has warned of a renewed wave of the “son” SMS fraud in Spain, where criminals pose as a distressed relative, claim their phone is broken, and shift the conversation to WhatsApp to request urgent payments via Bizum. The Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) and the Guardia Civil have highlighted the tactic’s growth, noting past operations that arrested over 100 suspects who stole around €1 million.

In Mexico, actress Michelle Rodríguez posted a video warning that scammers hacked her mother’s WhatsApp account after a fake parcel‑delivery call. The perpetrators used the compromised account to send messages to contacts, demanding money through BBVA and Banamex accounts. Rodríguez urged people to ignore such messages, saying, “Le hackearon el celular esta mañana a mi mamá. No hagan caso.” Both incidents illustrate a rise in social‑engineering scams that exploit family trust and urgent language to extract funds.