Filenews 8 July 2024
Police warn of new message fraud through WhatsApp, urging the public to be careful.
In a statement, the Cybercrime Subdivision said it had received a large number of reports of WhatsApp sending messages inviting them to participate in purported investments with very large profits. These messages come from abroad.
The director of the Cybercrime Subdivision, Andreas Anastasiades, speaking to CNA, said that people should be careful, as such scams are now quite widespread. "The perpetrators promise high returns, which cannot be the case. The public should trust companies licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, so that there is no risk of fraud," he noted.
He added that there are some complaints about people giving money. "Fortunately, the amount of money is limited. When someone starts investing they ask for more money and that's where they suspect it's a scam," he said.
Anastasiades also said that it is not easy to identify the perpetrators and recover the money, as the amounts are not sent via bank transfers, but by other methods. Each case is unique, he noted, and efforts are being made to help the public.
The Cybercrime Sub-Directorate invites the public to report these messages to this application and then delete them. https://cybercrime.police.gov.cy/police/CyberCrime.nsf/subscribe_en/subscribe_en?OpenForm
