Scammers are everywhere. With the rise of social media, criminals have found new ways to take advantage of unsuspecting users with fake profiles and in-app purchases. Although most people know better than to trust someone they just met online, some fall for these schemes anyway. And as a result, there are plenty of WhatsApp users who have been victimized by a scammer. If you’re one of them, it’s imperative that you take steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. The best way to do so is by tracking their profile and reporting them as soon as possible. This article will help you understand how scammers operate on WhatsApp, what to look for if you think you might be the target of a scammer, and how to track their profile if everything goes south.
How To Track A Scammer On WhatsApp
Watch Out for Suspicious Profile Names
The first thing you should do is check the profile name of the person who contacted you. Some scammers will try to make their names appear legitimate by using a variation of an existing company name or a very popular brand. For example, they might use “Apple Support” or “Google Customer Service” in their profile name. Others will simply use the company’s logo as their picture and include their phone number in the username field. If you see this, it’s highly likely that they are trying to trick you into thinking that they work for a reputable company. In reality, these profiles are fake accounts created by scammers to steal your money and personal information.
Beware of Fake Phone Numbers
Most people will assume that if someone has their phone number, then it must be legit since there aren’t many ways for them to get it other than through an official channel such as customer service or social media support channels. However, that’s not always true scammers can easily obtain phone numbers from public records and sell them on the dark web as part of their scheme. So if you receive a message from someone with an unfamiliar phone number, don’t trust it immediately! Instead, search for reviews about this person online so that you can learn more about them before getting involved in any sort of communication with them especially if it involves financial transactions or sharing sensitive information like your social security number or credit card info.
Check Their Profile for Suspicious Information
If you’re still unsure about the legitimacy of a person’s profile, take a look at their profile and see if there are any red flags that would indicate that they aren’t who they say they are. For example, if their profile picture is a stock photo or it doesn’t match the information they provided, then it’s likely that they’re trying to hide their identity. Additionally, if you notice that they have a lot of friends but no recent status updates or any other activity on their account, then it’s possible that this is other tactic scammers use to trick you into becoming comfortable with them so you’re more likely to trust whatever information they provide in the future.
Report Them Immediately
If you verify that someone is trying to scam you on WhatsApp, do not engage with them! Instead, report them immediately by tapping on the three dots at the top of your screen and selecting “Report Contact” from the menu. If enough people report this person for spamming or harassment, then WhatsApp will block this person from contacting anyone else in your network or group chats. Unfortunately, this won’t prevent them from creating new accounts and continuing their scamming activities elsewhere. However, reporting them will help make it easier for others to spot potential scammers in the future so that no one else gets caught up in their trap!
Don’t Trust Everything You Read
The internet is filled with articles that claim to tell you how to identify a scammer on WhatsApp, but most of them are outdated and no longer work. For example, many articles suggest that you should look at the phone number’s country code to determine if it’s a scammer or not although this is true in some cases, it’s not always true. Scammers can easily change the country code of their phone number so that it matches yours, making it harder for you to spot them in your list of contacts. So instead of focusing on their number, focus on the other things I mentioned like checking their profile for suspicious information or reporting them immediately if they contact you. If you follow these tips and use common sense, then you should be able to spot a scammer with ease! But if you’re still unsure about someone’s identity, then just remember two things: Don’t trust everything you read online about how to spot scammers and report them as soon as possible so that others don’t get trapped in their scheme!
What To Look For When Tracking A Scammer On WhatsApp
1. Check Their Profile
One of the best ways to determine if someone is a scammer is to check their profile. If they’re not using their real name, or if they have no profile picture at all, then it’s possible that they’re trying to hide something. Also, you can check the location of their phone number on WhatsApp’s website. If it’s a different country than where you are, then this is definitely suspicious!
2. Look Them Up on Facebook
If they have a Facebook account, then you can check it out for more information about them. If this person has no photos or posts on their timeline and only has a few friends (if any), then this might be another red flag! Scammers often create bogus Facebook profiles because it makes it easier for them to trick people into giving them personal information like phone numbers and addresses without raising suspicion. So if you see that someone has only a few friends on Facebook or no friends at all, then there’s a good chance that this person is using an alias to hide their real identity.
3. Check Their Profile Information
If you’re not sure about someone’s identity, then check out their profile information to see if there are any suspicious details. For example, if they claim to be from the UK but their profile says that they’re from the US, then this is a clear sign that something’s wrong! Also, take a look at their interests and likes to see if any of them seem suspicious. If they have an interest in “Money Making Techniques” or anything related to money-making schemes, then this is another red flag!
4. Check Their WhatsApp Status Updates
Sometimes scammers will post on their WhatsApp status updates that they’re in another country when really they’re not. For example, some scammers post fake status updates like “I’m in London right now!” or “I’m in New York with my family!” but really they’re nowhere near those places. So if you see someone posting regular updates saying that they’re somewhere else , ask them for more proof or try contacting them using another means of communication like Facebook Messenger or email so you can verify their identity first before sending them any personal information.
5. Check Their Phone Number
You can also check the phone number on WhatsApp’s website to see where it’s registered. If it’s registered in a different country than where you are and the person claims to be from there too, then this is definitely suspicious! Remember though that scammers can easily change the country code of their phone number so you might want to verify the number first before getting your hopes up.
Tips To Prevent Yourself From Being Scammed
1. Don’t Give Out Too Much Information
Remember that if you give out too much personal information to someone over the internet, then there’s a good chance that they might use it against you. So don’t give out your full name, address, phone number or place of work unless you’re 100% sure that the person is genuine.
2. Don’t Share Personal Information on Facebook
If possible, try not to share too much information about yourself on Facebook either. Scammers often use Facebook to find out more about their victims so it’s best not to put too much info up there for them to see! However, if you do have a public profile, then make sure that you protect your privacy settings so only your friends can see sensitive info like where you work and where you live.
3. Be Careful When Giving Out Your Phone Number
If someone asks for your phone number over the internet (especially via WhatsApp), then be careful before giving it out! Remember that anyone can get hold of your phone number these days without even having to know your real identity so be sure to verify their identity first before giving them yours.
4. Use a VPN When Using Public Wi-Fi Networks
You should also be extra careful when using public Wi-Fi networks because some scammers monitor public Wi-Fi networks looking for victims! If someone sends you a message asking for personal information over public Wi-Fi, then block them and report them immediately instead of replying or giving them any information.
5. Don’t Open Any Suspicious Links
Finally, you should avoid opening any suspicious links that you receive over WhatsApp, especially if they are from a number you don’t recognize! If someone sends you a link, then check to make sure it’s not a phishing link first by visiting the website on your browser or by asking for advice from friends or family.
Conclusion
If you’re one of the many people who have been scammed on WhatsApp, the best way to make sure that it doesn’t happen again is to report the scammer. You can also try to track their profile and see how many other people they’ve scammed. Hopefully, by taking these steps, you’ll be able to prevent other people from falling for the same scam. That being said, it’s important that you’re vigilant when using any app, whether it’s Facebook, WhatsApp or any other platform. You can never be too careful when it comes to your online safety, so be sure to keep an eye out for any of these signs when you’re on WhatsApp.