“Hi Mum, I lost my phone”
Last reviewed:
A message arrives from an unknown number, on WhatsApp or by text: “Hi Mum, I broke my phone, this is my new number, save it.” A friendly chat follows. Then the request: a bill they can't pay because their banking app is on the old phone, so could you send the money to this account? It also comes as “Hi Dad”, from a grandchild, or from a friend.
What it looks like
Hi Mum, it's me, I dropped my phone in the toilet 🙈 this is my new number, can you save it? I need a favour, I have a bill to pay today and can't get into my banking app.
A made-up example. Every name, number and link here is fictional.
The tell
A sudden money request from family on a new number. Call them on the number you already have, or ask something only they would know.
Other signs
- A new number, and a reason why they can't call: the microphone is broken, they're at work.
- They don't use your name, or their own.
- The money is for a bill or a friend, paid into an account that isn't theirs.
- Urgency and a little guilt: “please, I'm stuck”.
What to do
- Call the person on the number you already have. If they answer, you know.
- Ask a question only they could answer, or agree a family code word now, before it happens.
- Don't send money to an account in another name, even “just this once”.
If you already replied, tapped or paid
- Call your bank straight away, on the number on your card (or 159 in the UK). Banks can sometimes stop or recover a payment if they hear quickly.
- Change any password you typed in, on the real site, and turn on two-step sign-in.
- Report it (below), and keep the messages and receipts.
- Be careful of anyone who then offers to get your money back for a fee. That is a second scam.
- Don't feel ashamed. Scams are written by professionals and fool careful people every day.
Report it
- In the UK: forward scam texts free to 7726, and scam emails to [email protected].
- Report fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040 (in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101).
- Elsewhere: your country's police or consumer protection service.
Sources
The advice here follows these official UK pages:
Practise spotting it
In Scam Town you get letters, texts and calls like these, decide which are real, and see the tell after every answer. You can also build scams yourself from ready-made pieces, which is the fastest way to learn how they work. It's free and plays in your browser.
Play Scam Town