Help and guidance
Checking a suspicious payment request: pause first
An unexpected payment request may come from someone you know, or someone pretending to be them. Urgency is not a reason to pay. Step away from the chat before opening a link or transferring money.
Do this first
- Call the person yourself on the old, known number, not the number in the message.
- Do not transfer money when in doubt and do not share codes.
- Already sent money? Contact your bank immediately using its official number.
Check the question, not just the name
Was a payment agreed? Do the amount, recipient and purpose match that agreement? A profile name, photo or familiar payment brand does not prove your contact requested this payment.
Contact them yourself using the old, known number. Ask about this exact request. Do not rely solely on a new number provided in the message.
Is an online payment request safe?
An attractive payment screen or familiar logo does not tell you whether a request is legitimate. Torivela does not scan URLs for phishing or assess bank accounts or IBANs.
Do not open a link when unsure. Do not share bank codes, login details or screen access. Get help through the official bank app or the number on your bank card, not a link or number in the suspicious message.
An extra question to a previously linked contact
Through Torivela, you can separately ask a trusted contact, personally linked beforehand, about a specific money request. You enter the question yourself; Torivela does not automatically read WhatsApp.
State exactly what you want confirmed. A Yes through the linked account is not an identity or payment guarantee. Even after a Yes, do not pay when in doubt. No prior link? Call yourself; do not rush into linking through the suspicious chat.
What if the money has already been sent?
Contact your bank immediately using its official number and keep the conversation and payment details. Report scams to the police and, in the Netherlands, the Fraudehelpdesk. Your bank assesses what remains possible; recovering the money is not guaranteed.
Torivela offers an extra check of one specific request outside the original chat through a trusted contact personally linked beforehand. It is not an automatic phishing or URL scanner and does not guarantee identity, sender, IBAN or payment. Security has not yet been independently reviewed.