Vote for Adelina is a new scam targeting WhatsApp accounts of users in Romania, which attackers then use to carry out online financial fraud. The warning comes from the National Cyber Security Directorate.

Indicators of the fraud attempt

• The victim/potential victim receives a WhatsApp message: Hi! Please vote for Adeline in this poll, she is the daughter of my friend from Bucharest; the main prize is a scholarship for free education in France, this is very important for her. Thank you so much!, along with a link to a phishing site that typically includes the words vote and dance, and ends with the “.top/home” extension.
  
  
• After the website and the vote button are accessed, you are prompted to “log in to WhatsApp to vote.” At this point, the user is asked for their phone number. The victim receives a code which, when entered “to vote,” gives the attackers access to the victim’s WhatsApp account.
  
  
• Afterwards, the victim finds that messages have been sent to their entire contact list and that the account is now in the attackers’ control. The National Cyber Security Directorate has noted that, at this stage, two types of messages are sent:
  • a repeat of the initial message, attempting to compromise other WhatsApp accounts the same way;
  • requests for money: “Hi, can you lend me 1,800 RON? I need it to my card or Revolut, I’ll give it back tomorrow.”

How to protect yourself

• Don’t act in haste when you receive messages on WhatsApp.
• Don’t click suspicious links.
• Contact the person whose identity has been used so you can clear up the confusion caused by the scam as quickly as possible.

If you have made a payment to the attackers and you are a BT client, contact the bank immediately: 0264 308 055, contact@btrl.ro.