How can I tell if a WhatsApp number is from South Africa?
Look at the start of the number: South African numbers begin with +27 followed by nine digits (the local number without the leading 0). A different country code means the SIM card was issued elsewhere, even if the person says they live in Durban or Cape Town.
A foreign number is not proof of a scam; plenty of people use a number from where they used to live. But when the story is "I am a local nurse" and the number is from another continent, ask why.
Scammers also use virtual numbers that look South African. Veritaza's check 3 tells you which country the number is from and whether it is a virtual one.
How to check
- Open the contact in WhatsApp and look at the full number with the plus sign.
- +27 is South Africa. Anything else is another country: look the code up.
- Ask the person where they got the number and see if the answer fits the story.
- Be extra careful if the number changed during your chat "because the phone broke".
- Check the number for scam reports and for being a virtual number.
Frequently asked questions
- The number is +27 but they are overseas. Is that odd?
- Not on its own. South Africans abroad often keep their WhatsApp number. Judge the whole story.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
Check a person