"Hi Mum, I've got a new number": how to spot the scam and what to do

How the scam works

Australia's consumer watchdog (ACCC, Scamwatch) and the US Federal Trade Commission describe the same pattern:

1. A message from an unknown number. It arrives on WhatsApp or by text: "Hi Mum, I've lost my phone", "my phone broke, this is my new number". The explanation for the strange number comes right at the start.
2. A short, friendly chat. The scammer poses as your son, daughter, grandchild or a friend and builds a bit of rapport first.
3. The request. Money for an urgent bill, a replacement phone or a contractor – often because they supposedly "can't get into their banking app" on the new phone. Sometimes they ask for personal information or photos instead.
4. Pressure and secrecy. The FTC warns that scammers stress the situation is urgent, that you're the only one who can help and that you should keep it to yourself.
5. More requests. Once you've paid, another "bill" often follows.

The scale is real: Scamwatch recorded more than 1,150 victims in Australia in just the first seven months of 2022, with reported losses of A$2.6 million.

Warning signs

• A new number and a ready-made excuse – lost, broken or stolen phone.
• They don't use the name they normally call you, and avoid details your child would know.
• They can't talk. Calls are declined: "my microphone doesn't work", "I'm at work". They only want to type.
• It has to happen now – "the bill is due today".
• The money goes to someone else's account – a "friend", a "shop", a "company".
• You're asked to keep it secret.

How to check safely

1. Call the number you already have saved – not the one the message came from. Scamwatch advises checking whether the old number is still in use. If your child picks up and knows nothing about it, you have your answer.
2. Try another route if you can't get through: another app, social media, their partner, a flatmate or another family member. The FTC says to do this even if you were told to keep it secret.
3. Ask something only your child would know – and not anything that can be found on social media.
4. Send nothing until you're sure – no money, no personal details, no codes from text messages. Take Five's advice: it's fine to reject, refuse or ignore any request.

Already sent money? What to do now

Getting your money back in the UK

Since 7 October 2024, UK banks must reimburse most victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud – when you're tricked into sending a bank transfer. According to the Payment Systems Regulator:

• it covers transfers made by Faster Payments or CHAPS on or after 7 October 2024, and all types of APP fraud, including impersonation,
• the limit is £85,000 per claim; your bank may deduct an excess of up to £100 (not if you're a vulnerable customer),
• report it to your bank within 13 months of the payment – but as soon as possible,
• if your bank refuses, ask for the decision in writing; you can take a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.

Card, cash and cheque payments have their own, separate protections.

Report it

• UK: report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101. Forward scam text messages free of charge to 7726 – your provider can investigate where they came from.
• US: report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.
• Australia: report it to Scamwatch – whether or not you lost money.
• In the app: block and report the number in WhatsApp or whichever messenger it came from.

If you also handed over login details or filled something in via a link, follow Entered your details on a phishing site. If it really was your child's account that was taken over, help them with Account hacked: how to get it back.

How to protect your family

• Tell your parents and grandparents. Show them this article or forward them an example message – these scams often target older relatives.
• Agree on a family code word for any message asking for money.
• Never send money to an account when you don't know who it belongs to. Scamwatch's advice: only send money when you are completely sure who you're paying.
• Be careful about what you share publicly. The FTC notes that scammers may pick up personal details from social media or a hacked email account to sound more convincing.
• The same trick – pretending to be someone you trust – is behind bank impersonation calls and fake online shops.