Cybercrime Southeast Europe Newsletter No. 96

When a Message Comes from a Trusted Contact – But Isn’t

Online scams have entered a new phase they no longer come from unknown numbers with obvious mistakes, but instead appear completely legitimate and come from people you trust.

Recently, there has been a rise in scams carried out through WhatsApp messages sent from numbers already saved in your contacts. In practice, this means the message may appear to come from a friend, family member, or colleague, often including an urgent request for money or assistance.

This is precisely what makes these scams particularly dangerous,  fraudsters no longer rely on poorly written messages, but instead exploit existing trust to trigger quick and impulsive reactions.

In many cases, such messages contain links that lead to fake websites designed to look identical to bank or payment service pages, with the goal of obtaining your personal data or access to your accounts.

What is especially concerning is that modern scams increasingly use artificial intelligence, including perfectly written messages and even voice cloning, making them significantly harder to detect.

In these situations, the key mistake is not a lack of knowledge but reacting too quickly.

The most important rule remains simple: no message requesting money or sensitive information should be trusted without additional verification, regardless of the number it comes from.

A simple phone call or a message through another channel is often enough to prevent serious financial loss.

Your DefendMe Team