How to Track a Scammer on WhatsApp after Being Scammed

Scams on WhatsApp have surged as the app becomes more popular. Fraudsters usually employ fake or cloned accounts and trick users with messages in order to get secrets or money. These scams can be very clever, making it difficult to detect sometimes.

Falling victim to a WhatsApp scam can be frustrating, leaving you feeling helpless. So, you might wonder: "Is there any way to catch the scammer on WhatsApp?"

In this article, we will present some ways to track a scammer on WhatsApp, and some tips for your safety in future scam cases.

What to Do If You're Scammed on WhatsApp

Realizing you've been scammed on WhatsApp can be stressful and annoying, but acting quickly can limit the risks. Here's what to do right away if you've been targeted.

Step 1: Secure Your WhatsApp & Financial Accounts

The ultimate purpose of scammers is to gain your personal data and money.

Once you become the victim of the scams, the top priority is to be sure that your accounts are safe, especially if you've shared your account details, payment info, or even partial credentials.

To secure your WhatsApp and other accounts, like financial ones, definitely change the passwords and turn on the two-step verification (2FA) immediately.

Step 2: Gather All Evidence from the Scam

It is necessary to have detailed evidence for future reporting, tracking, and investigation. Make screenshots of or export all the chats that you had with the scammer.

Surely, the most important are the scammer's phone number, profile name, and any other identifiable details.

Step 3: Report It to WhatsApp, Police, or Authorities

Report the scammers to WhatsApp, and the official team can get their accounts banned, preventing them from scamming other users or someone you know.

Beyond WhatsApp, you can also reach out to your local police or cybercrime authorities and give them all the evidence you have. With this, you can even ask the enforcement to track the scammer if your loss is huge.

How to Track a WhatsApp Scammer

WhatsApp scammer tracing can be a daunting task, but with numerous techniques at your disposal, you can uncover more facts about the scammer and even get your money back.

1Use Phone Number Lookup Services

Using phone number lookup services is one option you can consider to track a scammer.

Generally, WhatsApp accounts must be linked to phone numbers. With it, you can identify where the scammer is from the country code.

If you need more info, such as the scammer's name or social media profiles, phone number lookup services can help. These services generally search public data, scam records, social media profiles, and user-reported databases upon entering a phone number.

2Search for Other Social Accounts Linked to that Number

As we stated above, WhatsApp requires a phone number to link the account. The case is the same as many other social platforms.

That said, cross-referencing the phone number on different social media platforms can uncover other accounts that might have been linked to it.

To do so, just save the scammer's number from WhatsApp to your contacts list. Then, other messaging apps or social media will recommend its profile to you because of the advanced algorithms.

3Check and Reverse Search for the Profile

A further approach is based on the careful analysis of the profile photo used by the scammer on WhatsApp.

You can use tools like Google Images to perform a reverse image search on the profile photo to see if it appears elsewhere on the internet.

However, the problem is that many scammers don't upload a profile image or use fake photos, so reverse searches may not yield real results.

Limitations of Tracking the WhatsApp Scammers

While it's possible for individuals to trace a scammer on WhatsApp, it's important to know that there are limits to what you can realistically discover. 

• You can only track and access what's publicly visible.
• WhatsApp enforces screenshot restrictions on profiles or view-once media, resulting in less evidence being saved.
• Scammers may use virtual numbers and fake profiles while creating a WhatsApp account. This makes it hard to obtain helpful information from the phone number, and it is untraceable.
• Phone number lookup and reverse image search tools may give misleading and incomplete results.

Therefore, the most effective and trustworthy way to track and catch a WhatsApp scammer is to inform the authorities of the scam. They are legally empowered and possess the necessary resources to carry out deeper investigations.

Protect Yourself from Being Scammed on WhatsApp

Getting scammed on WhatsApp is not your fault, and it can also be a wake-up call. Now is the time to stay alert and take measures to protect yourself from similar scams in the future.

Identify Common WhatsApp Scams

Knowing typical scam techniques is an effective way to be one step ahead. Here are the most common scams in WhatsApp, along with the examples:

• Tech support scams:

"This is WhatsApp Support. We noticed unauthorized access to your account. Please reply with your 6-digit verification code to secure your account."

• Impersonation scams:

"Dear grandma, I accidentally dropped and broke my phone, so I'm using an old one. Please save this number for the time being."

• Prize or lottery scams:

"Congratulations! You've won a $1,000 Walmart gift card. Provide your bank details or go to www.xxxx.com to claim now!"

In addition, young users are the main targets of WhatsApp scams, as they often don't recognize the signs of a scam just yet. Therefore, it is necessary to inform your children about the above scams they may face, so that they will be kept safe.

You can also use AirDroid WhatsApp Parental Control to find out if your kids are involved in scams, cyberbullying, or sexting on WhatsApp. This tool can send instant alerts when harmful keywords are detected in the conversations, so you can take prevention steps, drastically reducing the probability of them being deceived by scammers.

Verify the identity of the contacts

Checking twice the identity of the person who contacts you by calling or meeting them, if the person asks for information that is very sensitive or money, is a must.

Block unknown account messages on WhatsApp

Using WhatsApp's privacy settings to prevent messages from unknown numbers can limit the ways in which fraudsters can reach and scam you.

Never click on unknown links and files

Do not open links, especially shortened ones, even if they come from friends or family. Because those might install malware on your device or take you to phishing websites.

Don't share your personal or financial info

Never send your OTP, passwords, bank details, or any other important information (eg. your address) to anyone via WhatsApp or any other chat platform.

FAQs about WhatsApp Scams

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