"Hi Mum, my mobile phone broke down and I have a new number" - this is how fraudsters begin the messages with which they have got numerous people in Bonn and the region of to part with their money. The Bonn police are issuing a new warning about the scam, in which the perpetrators use WhatsApp messages to get their hands on their victims’ money. More than 100 cases have been reported in the jurisdiction of the Bonn police during the past few weeks, the officers announced on Tuesday. And the perpetrators are frighteningly often successful: "In about 50 percent of the cases, victims have actually transferred money," the police explain.

The messages sent via the messenger service start with sentences like: "Hi mum, it's me. I have a new number because my mobile phone broke. Please save the number". In the next step, the perpetrators ask their victims to transfer money to a foreign account since their online banking is not working yet because of the new mobile phone. There follows the promise to quickly pay back the loan.

The perpetrators are often successful, "Since this appears to be a relatively understandable situation, the relatives contacted want to help quickly, and this means losses can easily be incurred," the police said.

The police say the number of cases has risen in recent weeks. In one case, a 78-year-old woman was contacted via WhatsApp by someone she thought was her daughter claiming that she urgently needed to pay two bills. The senior citizen transferred about 4500 euros to the account number given.

The police advise caution and appeal to parents, grandparents, friends and acquaintances to be wary of this scam. The officers also give some tips on how people can protect themselves from WhatsApp scams:

Anyone who has become a victim of such a scam should always file a criminal complaint, the police say. In addition, they should inform their bank to try to stop or reverse any money transactions that may have been made.