National Trading Standards (NTS) and WhatsApp, the mobile messaging platform owned by online giant Meta, have launched a joint campaign to raise awareness of digital scams and provide advice about phone and online safety.
The initiative continues the ‘Stop. Think. Call.’ project launched by WhatsApp and NTS in 2021, and has appointed ‘scambassadors’ David Larbi and Holly Morris to share the campaign across social media.
Louise Baxter, Head of the NTS Scams Team and Friends Against Scams, said: “Criminals are masters of manipulation, constantly adapting their tactics to exploit our goodwill and desire to help friends and family members in need.
“These criminals will impersonate loved ones or contact you from an unknown number claiming to be a friend or family member who has lost their phone and been ‘locked out’ of their account. Often, they use emotional manipulation to push you into a hot state, so you are pushed into a position where the criminals try to get you to part ways with your money, making false accusations and using high-pressure tactics to make you feel anxious, vulnerable and panicked.
“But here’s the truth: you hold the power to stop these criminals in their tracks. Stay vigilant, always check the requests with friends and family, and never feel pressured to share your details or send money quickly.”
In 2024 Citizens Advice has received at least one report of a phone scam every day, and a report by NTS found that one in five adults (20%) believe they are likely to become a victim of a scam in the next five years.
Helen Charles, Policy Director at WhatsApp, said: “We want to make WhatsApp the safest and most secure place for online communication, which is why we protect your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption. However, there are additional steps we can all take to protect our accounts from criminals. We urge all WhatsApp users to stay alert to potential scams, turn on two-step verification and use our in-app Privacy Checkup tool.”
While there has been a decline in phone scam reports to Citizens Advice, NTS has warned that could be due to fewer people reporting scams to authorities.WhatsApp and NTS are urging people to remain vigilant and to report suspected scams, as criminals constantly evolve their tactics to trick people into parting with money or personal information.
WhatsApp provides a number of layers of protection in-app to keep people safe and secure. To stay one step ahead of the criminals, users are urged to:
- Turn on two-step verification
- NEVER share their 6-digit code
- Use Privacy Checkup to ensure they are up to date on their security settings
