PUBLISHED ONMay 08, 2026 8:19 AMBYSean LerIf you receive a WhatsApp message from a known contact asking for a WhatsApp one-time password (OTP), or a request for a fund transfer or payment — stop and check first — don't be the next scam victim.
This scam variant was revealed by the police in a news release on Friday (May 8), following at least 52 reports since April, with losses of at least $46,000.
According to the police, scammers would attempt to log into the WhatsApp accounts of other users by entering their mobile phone numbers and requesting for an OTP for verification.
This would, in turn, trigger an SMS or WhatsApp notification to users containing the OTP.
Users would then receive WhatsApp messages from known contacts, whose accounts had already been compromised, and asked to provide the OTP on the pretext that it had accidentally been sent to them.
Scammers would be able to log into the users' WhatsApp accounts with the OTP.
The scammers would then impersonate the users and reach out to other victims on the users' contact list, to deceive them into transferring money via various means to digital payment service providers, including Razer Merchant Services and Grab.
In some cases, the victims were told to make further transfers after completing initial transfers, citing emergencies.
They would only realise they have been scammed after making separate verifications with the users.
Members of the public are reminded to be wary of unusual requests over WhatsApp for money.
They should not relinquish WhatsApp OTPs to anyone or risk losing their accounts.
As an added precaution, users can secure their accounts by going to the settings section and removing unknown linked devices.
Users are also encouraged to turn on two-step verification.
Those whose accounts are compromised can recover their account by clicking on "log back in" and keying in their full phone number. A 6-digit code will be provided by SMS or phone call.
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