Wellington Neighbourhood Policing team have warned residents to be vigilant against WhatsApp scams happening in the area.

Between January and June this year 180 WhatsApp scams have been reported to Action Fraud from people living in Avon and Somerset.The national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime has recorded that more than £270k has been lost to these scammers.

There are many different tactics that scammers use to relieve people of their hard earned money; many of them convincing. Popular methods used include the ‘Hi Mum’ or ‘Hi dad’ trick message, in which scammers pose as children who have changed their number and encourage people to give them personal or banking details.

On a national scope scams on WhatsApp pretending to be friends or family members have costed users a total of £1.5 million.

A spokesperson for the Wellington Neighbourhood Policing Team said:

“Please make sure your family and friends know to stop, challenge, and protect themselves against scams.Together, we can stop these scams before they even begin.”

If you think you might have fallen for a scam or been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via their online 24/7 service.