Cybercrime Southeast Europe Newsletter No. 101

“Your Account Will Be Blocked” – A New Phishing Scam Spreading Through WhatsApp

In recent weeks, an increasing number of people in Serbia and the region have been receiving messages via WhatsApp, SMS, and email claiming that their accounts are at risk of being blocked, that suspicious activity has been detected, or that urgent identity verification is required.

These messages are often written in a highly convincing manner and use the names and visual identities of well-known companies, platforms, or applications, making many users believe at first glance that the warning is legitimate.

This is precisely the main mechanism behind such scams — creating a sense of urgency, panic, and pressure so that users react immediately without taking additional time to verify the information.

In most cases, recipients are instructed to click on a link, confirm their identity, enter login credentials, banking information, card details, or verification codes. Once this information is submitted, scammers may gain access to personal accounts, communications, or financial data.

What is particularly concerning is that these scams have become significantly more sophisticated than in previous years. Unlike older phishing attempts that were often easy to recognize due to poor language or obvious errors, modern scam messages frequently appear professional and credible.

According to warnings from Serbian authorities and recent media reports, Serbia has seen a significant increase in various forms of online fraud in recent months, including fake security alerts, false account suspension notices, fraudulent payment requests, and investment-related scams.

For this reason, it is important to keep several basic security principles in mind:

• legitimate companies and institutions rarely request urgent account verification through random messages;
• suspicious links received through WhatsApp, SMS, or email should not be opened;
• banking information, passwords, and verification codes should never be entered through links received in messages;
• in case of doubt, communication should always be verified exclusively through official channels.

Online fraud today is no longer limited to isolated incidents. These scams are increasingly organized, adaptable, and psychologically sophisticated, relying heavily on fear, urgency, and user trust.

For that reason, caution and additional verification remain one of the most effective forms of protection.

Kind regards,
Your DefendMe Team