A Cuban citizen alerted about a scam method that uses fake offers for electric bicycles or mopeds to gain access to WhatsApp accounts and request money transfers via Zelle to the victims' relatives in the United States.
The woman explained in a video shared on social media and reported by Infobae how the supposed sellers take advantage of the promise to deliver the product before being paid to gain the trust of the buyers.
How does the scam with the electric bikes work?
The deception begins with a sales ad for an electric bicycle that offers home delivery and payment only after receiving the product. This condition conveys security to the buyer, who believes they will not have to spend any money until they have confirmed that the merchandise has arrived.
However, the goal of the scammers is not to directly charge for the bicycle, but to obtain a verification code that will allow them to attempt to register the victim's WhatsApp account on another device.
According to the complainant, on the agreed day for the delivery, a supposed delivery person called the buyer, claimed that he was lost, and asked him to share a code received via text message.
"He will tell you that he can't find the house, that he's lost, and that you should send him a code that arrived on your phone so he can enter it into the car's GPS," the woman recounted, according to statements collected by Infobae.
This code could be the six-digit registration code that WhatsApp sends to verify a phone number. If the victim provides it, the criminals can attempt to register their account on another device and lock them out.
The registration code should not be confused with the two-step verification PIN, an additional security measure that users can enable on WhatsApp.
Once they gain access to the account, the scammers can impersonate the account holder and contact family or acquaintances to request money. In the mechanism described by the complainant, the criminals seek out the person who was supposed to pay for the bicycle from the United States and message them from the compromised WhatsApp to assure them that the product has already been delivered.
"Yes, go ahead, make the payment because I already have the bicycle with me," is one of the messages they may use to convince the family member to make the transfer. The bicycle never arrives, and the money ends up in the hands of the scammers, according to the reported procedure.
The Cuban woman who shared the warning emphasized the importance of being wary of any unexpected requests for passwords received on the phone.
"Never share these codes that come out of nowhere to your phone unless you have requested them," he warned, according to statements collected by Infobae.
Can the money sent through Zelle be recovered?
Transfers made via Zelle are usually completed in a few minutes and, once sent, they generally cannot be canceled if the recipient is already registered.
However, this does not mean that all scam victims automatically lose the chance to recover their money.
According to the official information from Zelle, certain identity theft scams may qualify for a refund, even when the user has authorized the transfer under false pretenses.
The platform distinguishes between unauthorized transactions made without the consent of the bank account holder and payments that the individual makes after being deceived. The chances of recovery depend on the circumstances of the case and the applicable protections.
Those who have been victims of a scam should immediately contact their bank or credit union to report the incident and request an investigation.
How to prevent WhatsApp theft and scams through Zelle?
The main recommendation is not to share registration or verification codes received via SMS, even if the requester claims to be a delivery person, vendor, or representative of a company.
To reduce the risk of encountering this type of fraud, it is advisable to take the following precautions:
- Do not share WhatsApp codes: no delivery person needs a registration code from the app to find an address or deliver a product.
- Confirm money requests through another channel: if a relative requests an unexpected transfer, call them at a known alternative number or reach out to them through an independent channel.
- Beware of urgencies: messages that pressure for immediate payments should be verified before sending money.
- Verify the recipient's identity: before using Zelle, double-check the details of the person who will receive the payment with the family member.
- Enable two-step verification for WhatsApp: this feature adds a security PIN to the account registration process.
WhatsApp allows you to enable this protection from the app's settings, under Account and Two-Step Verification. It is also advisable to add a recovery email and periodically check the Linked Devices section to spot any unknown sessions.
The official WhatsApp guide provides instructions for setting up this security measure.
Other cases of digital scams in Cuba
Reports of identity theft via WhatsApp and fraudulent business operations are not new in Cuba.
In August 2026, a Cuban residing in the United States lost 1,900 dollars after receiving messages from the compromised WhatsApp account of a friend in Cuba. The victim actually made a video call before transferring the money, unaware that the account had been hacked.
In June, another Cuban reported losing $6,000 while trying to purchase an electric tricycle for her family in Holguín. In that case, the scammers used an image generated with artificial intelligence to simulate that the vehicle had been delivered in front of the house.
In July, a Cuban reported a scam related to the sale of solar panels.
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