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UK scam guide · last reviewed 29 September 2026

“Add me on WhatsApp” scam calls and texts

A call, voicemail or text from a number you don't know asks you to add it on WhatsApp, often to “discuss a job opportunity”. The first contact is only the opener. Once you're chatting on WhatsApp, it turns into a job or “task” scam, an investment or crypto pitch, or a romance, and ends with a request to send money.

What it looks like

  • A short call, a missed call or an automated voice from an unknown UK mobile asking you to add the number on WhatsApp
  • A voicemail saying the caller is from a recruitment firm or “Indeed human resources” and wants to discuss a job opportunity
  • A text offering part-time or remote work for a few hundred pounds a day, with a WhatsApp link to continue the conversation
  • On WhatsApp: simple paid “tasks” such as liking videos or writing reviews, a balance that shows what you've “earned”, then a request to pay in, often in crypto, to unlock it
  • Or a friendly chat that builds your trust before an investment tip or a request for money
  • Caller ID showing an ordinary UK mobile number, which can be faked

What the real organisations say

  • “scammers may make initial contact with a potential victim by sending them a Short Message Service (SMS) message … The scammer may then ask the victim to communicate with them using an online messaging app, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.”

  • “Common reports of this scam involve a voicemail message claiming to be from job platform Indeed.”

  • “Indeed will never contact jobseekers to offer employment through phone calls, text messages or apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. If you get these types of messages, they are scams.”

  • “Someone could pretend to be a recruiter at a well-known company to trick you into sharing personal information, or ask for money as part of a job application.”

  • “There is always a catch and it should be a red flag for everyone: you have to pay upfront to get promised returns or earnings.”

  • “They will often request upfront payments as part of the recruitment process.”

  • “If you received the message through an app such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal, use the app’s own features to block and report the message. You cannot usually forward these app messages to 7726.”

WhatsApp banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centres in the first six months of 2025. Meta says these centres are often fuelled by forced labour and run by organised crime, primarily in Southeast Asia. Source

In 2025, 66% of authorised push payment fraud cases in the UK started online and 17% through phone networks. Investment scams cost victims £221.5 million and romance scams £39.2 million. Source

What our visitors report

From scam reports, community threads and caller verdicts left on this site that match this scam. These are user reports, not verified findings.

Reports on this site
10
Last 90 days
10
Latest report
5 Oct 2026

2 of them came in the last 28 days. Browse all recently reported scams.

Reports per month

  1. 0May
  2. 0Jun
  3. 0Jul
  4. 8Aug
  5. 1Sept
  6. 1Oct

Latest reported examples

  • CallCaller verdict· 5 Oct 2026· 07918 903311

    Recording message asking to add this number to WhatsApp for job opportunities.

  • CallCaller verdict· 16 Sept 2026· 07447 566531

    is asking me to add them on whatsapp and i don’t know who they are

  • CallCaller verdict· 29 Aug 2026· 07828 069486

    “Add me on whatsapp”

  • CallCaller verdict· 28 Aug 2026· 07394 042990

    was an automated call, female English accent, pleasant sounding. Wanted to "tell me about a job opportunity" and ask me to add them on Whatsapp. Something fishy for sure

  • CallCaller verdict· 26 Aug 2026· 07479 966980

    “Add my number on WhatsApp”

  • CallCaller verdict· 25 Aug 2026· 07587 669712

    Automated voice asking to be added to WhatsApp re a job application

Number blocks these reports came from

The first five digits of each reported number. A block is where Ofcom allocated the number, not who is calling: scammers use numbers from every network, and can fake them.

Numbers reported for this scam

What to do

  1. 1

    Don't add the number, reply or call back

    Ofcom's advice for unknown senders is not to reply, even to opt out: replying confirms your number is active. If you're unsure about a missed call, don't call back.

  2. 2

    Already on WhatsApp? Block and report the chat

    Open the chat and choose Block and Report. WhatsApp receives up to five of the last messages they sent you, and the sender isn't told. Reporting without blocking won't stop their messages.

    WhatsApp: How to block and report someone ↗
  3. 3

    Forward the text, or the caller's number, to 7726

    Forward the original SMS to 7726 (free). For a call, share the number in a text to 7726. WhatsApp messages themselves can't usually go to 7726.

    Ofcom: What to do about a scam call, text or message (updated 24 Aug 2026) ↗
  4. 4

    Turn on WhatsApp's protections

    In WhatsApp's privacy settings, silence unknown callers (your phone won't ring for numbers you haven't saved), turn on “Block unknown account messages” (it blocks unknown accounts that send a high volume of messages, not every stranger), and set who can add you to groups to My Contacts.

    WhatsApp: How to silence unknown callers ↗
  5. 5

    Never pay to get a job or unlock earnings, and never share your WhatsApp code

    WhatsApp says never to share your registration code with anyone, not even friends or family. If a job asks you to pay in, it's a scam.

  6. 6

    Money moved? Call your bank on 159, then Report Fraud

    159 connects you safely to your own bank. Then report to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040), or Police Scotland on 101. Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee.

    Stop Scams UK: 159 ↗

Had one? Report it

Your report helps the next person who checks the same message, link or number. It’s published as a visitor report after our daily moderation.

What did you get?

Before saving we automatically remove names, phone numbers other than the scammer’s, email addresses, postcodes, street addresses, and card, sort-code and account numbers, and we keep only the host of any link. Please name only the organisation the scammer pretended to be; don’t accuse a real business or person. See our privacy notice.

“Add me on WhatsApp” scams: FAQs

Why do scammers ask you to add them on WhatsApp?

The call or text is only the opener. Ofcom describes scammers making first contact by SMS and then asking the victim to continue on an online messaging app such as WhatsApp. Meta says scams may start with a text message, then move to private messaging apps and ultimately to payment or crypto platforms.

What is the WhatsApp job or “task” scam?

You're offered easy paid work, such as liking videos. Meta describes scammers showing how much the target has already “earned”, then asking them to deposit money into a crypto account as the next task. Which? says you'll be asked to pay a fee to upgrade your account and will never see your earnings.

Is the “Indeed HR” call asking me to add them on WhatsApp real?

No. Indeed says it will never contact jobseekers to offer employment through phone calls, text messages or apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, and that such messages are scams. Which? reports voicemails claiming to be from Indeed human resources asking people to add their number.

The call came from an ordinary UK mobile number. Does that mean it's genuine?

No. Ofcom says scammers can change their caller ID (number spoofing), and criminals based abroad might change their number to appear to be calling from the UK. Ofcom now requires networks to withhold the caller ID of calls that appear to come from a UK mobile roaming abroad unless they can verify it.

Can I forward a WhatsApp message to 7726?

Usually not. Ofcom says to use the app's own features to block and report messages received through WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal. Forward the original text message, or the caller's number, to 7726.

What happens when I report someone on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp receives up to five of the last messages the person sent you, and they aren't notified. Reporting without blocking won't stop their messages or calls, so block them too.

I've already paid. What should I do?

Call your bank straight away on 159 or the number on your card, then report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). Be wary of anyone who then offers to get your money back: the FCA warns of recovery scams that charge an upfront fee.

How many “Add me on WhatsApp” scams have been reported on WhoCalledLookup?

10 visitor reports on this site match this scam, 10 of them in the last 90 days; the latest was on 5 October 2026. They are user reports, not verified findings.

Sources (checked 26 September 2026)

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