A Cuban content creator has documented in real-time at least four attempts to hijack his WhatsApp account through social engineering, issuing a warning to thousands across the island about a scam tactic spreading rapidly, which uses gasoline sale advertisements as bait.
Luis Manresa shared on Facebook the fourth scam attempt he encountered, a video that garnered over 391,000 views and 14,600 "likes," highlighting the Cuban public's significant concern over this type of digital fraud.
The scam's method is technically straightforward yet psychologically manipulative: the criminal installs WhatsApp on their device and inputs the victim's phone number, prompting the platform to send a verification code via SMS to the original phone.
Subsequently, the scammer contacts the victim under some pretext—in this case, sending a supposed "confirmation catalog" related to purchasing gasoline at 3,000 Cuban pesos—and requests the victim to share the code displayed on the screen.
"That code you see on the screen, don't share it with anyone. SMS codes, WhatsApp codes, do not share them with anyone," Manresa warned in the video.
If the victim provides the six-digit code, the attacker gains control of the account, using it to post fake statuses, alter bank transfer details, or solicit money from contacts while impersonating the legitimate owner.
"The scammer enters my number into their phone. When they request the code, being my number, it is sent to me. If I share that code, they hack my WhatsApp, and that's when the problems begin," Manresa explained.
The gasoline pretext is no accident: Cuba's energy crisis has skyrocketed fuel prices on the black market to over 4,000 pesos per liter, making any sales offer an especially tempting lure for the population.
This type of scam is part of a broader surge in digital frauds that have significantly increased in Cuba during 2025 and 2026. In April, Bandec issued warnings in Matanzas about two digital scam methods via WhatsApp, and that same month it was reported that social media scams had resulted in losses of 2,100 million pesos on the island.
In May, victims reported losses of up to 70,000 pesos in a new wave of thefts, with older adults identified as the most vulnerable group due to their lesser familiarity with digital platforms.
This month, there were additional warnings about identity theft involving CUPET to sell supposed "fuel canisters," demonstrating that scammers combine various scarcity-related pretexts to deceive their victims.
To safeguard themselves, experts advise enabling WhatsApp's two-step verification through Settings > Account > Two-step verification, using a six-digit PIN and a recovery email. The Central Bank of Cuba has reiterated that no official administrator from Transfermóvil, EnZona, or the banks contacts clients through private messages to request codes.
Manresa ended his video with a direct appeal to the public: "Share the video with your mom, your dad, your grandpa, your grandma, with everyone. Share it so people finally understand how this works."
Understanding WhatsApp Fraud in Cuba
How are scammers exploiting WhatsApp accounts in Cuba?
Scammers are using social engineering tactics, like posing as sellers of gasoline, to trick individuals into sharing their WhatsApp verification codes, allowing the scammers to take over their accounts.
What steps can individuals take to protect their WhatsApp accounts?
Users should enable two-step verification in WhatsApp settings and never share their verification codes with anyone to prevent unauthorized access to their accounts.
Why is gasoline used as a lure in these scams?
Due to the ongoing energy crisis in Cuba, fuel prices have risen sharply, making offers of gasoline particularly enticing and effective as a bait for the scammers.