Scammer Impersonates WhatsApp User to Ask Friend for $1,300

A scammer allegedly accessed a WhatsApp user's account and impersonated him to ask his friend for $1,300, claiming he had reached his daily bank transfer limit.

The account owner, known as @sparkpistols on Instagram, shared a warning alongside screenshots from the friend who received the messages.

He said the impersonator could mimic his typing style, making the request appear genuine.

In the exchange, the scammer asked the friend to pay a furniture seller on his behalf and promised to return the money the next morning.

The friend initially agreed but became suspicious after noticing that a contact number provided carried South Africa's country code.

Similar scams have cost victims in Singapore at least $249,000 across 128 reported cases since September 2026, according to a police advisory issued on 21 October.

These cases involved compromised WhatsApp accounts used to request loans or financial help from the account owners' contacts.

Police urge users to check unusual requests for money through another channel before making a transfer.

They also advise enabling WhatsApp's two-step verification and removing unknown linked devices to secure accounts.