A Cuban resident in Tampa, identified on TikTok as @rick_roxy, has shared a warning after experiencing an attempted scam via WhatsApp, where the scammers impersonated his mother to ask for money.
The incident began when he received a message in which, supposedly, his mother asked him to send $500 to a number, promising that the money would be returned to him later that same day.
Noticing something odd in the wording of the message, the Cuban decided to write directly to his mother to confirm the authenticity of the request.
However, when she called her, she received a video call with her mother holding the phone and a red background. Although the video appeared real, the voice was distorted and choppy, which heightened her suspicions. During the conversation, the supposed message insisted, "I'm on the street and the connection is bad, send me the money to this number."
Finally, he managed to contact his mother through a regular call and discovered that she had never asked him for money or contacted him in the first place. This experience led him to warn others about this type of fraud and the risks of falling victim to these WhatsApp scams.
"Be very careful with WhatsApp; they are hacking in an impressive way. Don't give codes to anyone," he advised in his video, seeking to alert other Cubans to stay vigilant against this type of scam.
This type of fraud, where scammers impersonate the identity of a close person to request money transfers, has become common on instant messaging platforms.
Experts recommend not sharing verification codes and always confirming the identity of the person requesting financial assistance before making any money transfer.
Filed under:
