Every year, scammers come up with more and more sophisticated ways to deceive, and one of the most dangerous phenomena that parents face today is the use of teenagers for fraudulent purposes. One of these schemes has become especially popular recently: teenagers rent out their WhatsApp accounts for money. At the same time, scammers gain full control over accounts in order to use them to commit crimes such as sending spam or extortion.

How does it work?

Scammers offer teenagers to rent out their account, promising quick and easy earnings. To do this, teenagers give access to their accounts, and sometimes to SIM cards, after which scammers begin to abuse the victim’s gullibility. At best, a teenager is left without earned money, and at worst, he becomes part of a criminal scheme, which may lead to judicial investigations.

Another relevant type of fraud in which intruders actively use children is cases when criminals call children posing as employees of the post office. They claim that a package was received in the child’s name and ask for the SMS code sent to the phone. After receiving the code, the scammers make a repeat call on behalf of the State Services and claim that micro-loans were issued in the name of the child, which were allegedly transferred in favor of prohibited organizations. In a panic, the children begin to agree to the demands of the scammers, who ask them to conduct a “remote search” of the apartment, handing over money or valuables to the courier “for investigation.” This type of fraud uses manipulation and psychological pressure on children, forcing them to perform criminal acts.

Eurasian Bank reminds that security in the digital world is everyone’s responsibility. To protect your loved ones from scammers, it is important to:

• Explain to children that it is forbidden to share SMS codes, passwords, or personal information with strangers, even if they identify themselves as government employees.
• Install two-factor authentication on all accounts and services of your children to increase the level of security.
• Monitor account activity and teach your child safe online behavior.
• Be careful with “easy earnings”. To warn that you should never rent out your accounts. This can lead to data theft and financial losses.
• If the account has already been leased, immediately restrict access to it. Go to settings and log out of all connected devices. It’s also worth reinstalling the app and enabling two-factor authentication.
• Save all correspondence with scammers and, if possible, take screenshots. This will help to prove that the account was not used by you.

Proper protection of personal data and attention to Internet security will help prevent fraud and secure financial resources. It is important to remember that in the modern world, any online activity can lead to dire consequences, and only care and awareness can help avoid trouble.