If They Say They’re From Brazil, Then Invite You to WhatsApp… Don’t Walk, Run!
Andy Cohen (Co-host of CNN’s New Year’s Eve show) warned about a scheme involving people who claimed to be from Brazil. They’re not; it’s a scam. They work in an extensive network of crooks, and he lost a fortune to them.
I got out before that but likely ran into the same group. I just left before the disaster occurred, but I’m still heartbroken and relieved that I’m not also cash-broke.
They likely do things differently for others, but there are some common elements:
- Set up fake accounts on a service.
- Pick vulnerable people as targets.
- Invite them to WhatsApp because of encryption.
- Use lies to milk them of all their money.
One crucial element I mentioned above is that they claim they’re from Brazil. They aren’t.
Fake Accounts
I’ll use Facebook as an example because that’s the one I am familiar with.
Usually, you can tell an account is fake. If it has only their choice of the cover image, their avatar, and a few photos as posts, that’s it.
