Scam guide
"Let's Move to WhatsApp": Why It Is the First Red Flag
By the Bakkar team ·
Wanting to chat on WhatsApp isn't a crime. But almost every chat scam starts with exactly that, early and with urgency, because once you've moved, the app you met on can no longer see the conversation, and your number is now theirs.
What your number gives a stranger
- Your WhatsApp profile photo, name and status.
- A way to reach you forever, from new numbers, after you block them.
- A starting point for UPI fraud, fake KYC calls and SIM-swap attempts.
Example messages, written by us from reported patterns. Each one has been checked against the rule Bakkar applies to a first message.
hey cutie, this app is so slow, message me on 9876543210 instead
Bakkar holds this back as a first messageadd me on telegram @rahul_trader
Bakkar holds this back as a first messagewa.me/919812345678
Bakkar holds this back as a first messageyahan baat nahi ho paati, whatsapp pe aa jao na
Bakkar would deliver this
What Bakkar does, and what it can't
As a first message, numbers, links and @handles are held back until you reply (see how the check works). After you reply, they're allowed, because by then you've chosen to talk. The last example gets through, because it asks without including anything. If you're asked to move before you've had a real conversation, say no.
How to say no
"I like keeping it on here for now." That's a full sentence. Someone genuine will be fine with it; someone who pushes is telling you what they want.
What to do
- Stop replying. You don't owe a scammer an explanation.
- Don't pay. Paying once never ends it; it tells them you will pay again.
- Save the evidence before you block: screenshots of the profile, the chat, any numbers, UPI IDs or links they sent.
- Report and block them on Bakkar from the chat or their profile. See what happens when you report.
- Report it at cybercrime.gov.in or on the 1930 helpline, even if you lost nothing: it helps catch the same people.
- Tell someone you trust. Scams work best on people who feel alone with them. If it's weighing on you, Tele MANAS on 14416 is free and open 24x7.
