WhatsApp calls, messages from international numbers? Beware of scammers

Most of these WhatsApp calls are made from international numbers. (Image credit: @ClaireJiao/Twitter)

If you have been receiving calls and messages from random international numbers on WhatsApp, it's an indication that you have been targeted by scammers.

Most of these calls come from phone numbers that start with +251 (Ethiopia), +60 (Malaysia), +62 (Indonesia), +254(Kenya), and +84 (Vietnam). Although they carry the country codes, the calls can be made from any part of the world as WhatsApp calls are done via the internet and there are agencies that sell international numbers for WhatsApp calls in different cities.

If you respond to these calls or messages on WhatsApp, the person on the other side is likely to offer a job that sounds lucrative with little effort, but may eventually end with you losing all your money.

The scammers pretend to be from a reputed company offering part-time jobs that can be carried out from within the comfort of your home. In most cases, they first lure people by offering them a small reward for completing a "task". Once the user gets their money, they begin to trust the "employers" and get caught up in a much larger scam costing them a lot of money.

Billionaire and Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath recently shared how his friend lost Rs 5 lakh over a similar scam via WhatsApp.

Several Twitter users have also shared similar experiences with WhatsApp calls from international numbers.

Have any of you gotten 3 missed whatsapp call? All calls ring only once. The profile pictures are ladies. Unknown number. Been getting a few of this weird calls. Wondering if this is some new scam tactics?

— Ooi Beng Cheang (@luxentX) May 2, 2023

Same here..Our data is being sold either from banks or from offices?#Scam#WhatsAppCallScam https://t.co/GJ4fFZuakU

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— Aman (@_BeingWitty) May 3, 2023

WTF is happening! I keep getting missed calls on WhatsApp from unknown numbers from different parts of the world every single day. It’s now so bad, I have to keep my phone on silent

— Ray Stings (@Purba_Ray) May 7, 2023

Read more: WhatsApp responds to international calls scam: 'We have a grievance officer based in India'

One of the ways to avoid falling prey to scammers is to not receive such calls or interact with messages sent from such random international numbers.

To block a number on WhatsApp, open a chat with the contact, then tap More > Block > Block. You can also report the contact by tapping Report contact > Block.

Read more: Teen arrested for duping people through fake WhatsApp accounts