"We know that at least 30% of Latinos in the United States use these groups because their phone numbers are local, starting with +1, says Roberta Braga, one of DDIA's founders and executive directors, in an audio message. The Institute focuses on the Latino community, which is why the study has this focus; it has nothing to do with Latinos being more vulnerable to falling for these types of scams, Braga explains."
"According to the report titled WhatsApp Weaponized: How Scammers Target U.S. Latinos Through Public Groups, scammers impersonate brands like Shein, Temu, AT&T, Apple, and Walmart and offer fake sweepstakes and surveys, asking users to fill out a form or play a game in an app with the promise of winning a mystery box, gift cards, or exclusive promotions. These actions don't appear to have an immediate impact on users, but they collect personal information that will be used for future fraud."
"Braga explains that although they haven't quantified which brands are used more than others, the study found that Temu, Shein, Carrefour, Nespresso, and the Spanish brands Mahou, Durni, and Mercadona are among the most frequently impersonated. Artificial intelligence is also used in the scams, but it is not the main tactic. They don't always do it, but we've started to see AI-generated images being used to make scams seem more credible, Braga says."
More than 18,400 unique messages in 3,300 Spanish-speaking WhatsApp groups were examined between January 1 and September 1, 2025. At least 30% of group members appear to be U.S.-based, indicated by +1 phone numbers. Two primary criminal strategies operate in these groups: fake giveaways and surveys that request form completion or app-based games promising prizes, and fraudulent online sales that impersonate legitimate retailers. Scammers impersonate brands such as Temu, Shein, Carrefour, Nespresso, Mahou, Durni, Mercadona, AT&T, Apple, and Walmart to collect personal information for future fraud. AI-generated images are sometimes used to increase credibility.
Read at english.elpais.com
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