Social media through WhatsApps have become a platform for fraudsters to extort money from unsuspecting from members of the Public, Rwanda Investigation Bureau warned Wednesday
“The victims’ WhatsApp gets switched off while fraudsters get full access to their WhatsApp and begin soliciting money from phone contacts where they call friends of the victims asking to send money to the provided numbers promising to pay back after busy commitments,” the Police statement said.
In one case, according to investigative reports, fraudsters have used the victims WhatsApps numbers to install the application in their handsets, they call and disguise as intended relevant staff claiming
to have mistakenly sent verification codes to the victims’ numbers and ask to be forwarded the codes.
In addition RIB appealed to members of the Public to be cautious with sudden request to transfer money through Mobile Money from members within their phone contacts.
“We urge the public not to share their WhatsApp credentials/codes to anyone who ask for them through phone calls or any other ways as scammers use these credentials for WhatsApp identity theft,” it said.
Official estimates indicate that crimes related to cyber fraud led to economic losses $6.6 million last year.
With cybercriminals having stolen Rwf289.5 million in 22 separate incidences in 2018, according to Central Bank data, there’s need for the country to tighten its cyber security at different levels.
Following the recurrent cyber attacks, Rwanda is currently implementing a National Cyber Security Awareness Programme, reports
said.
CU/abj/APA