A WhatsApp from "your son or daughter" says they've lost their phone and need money urgently
A WhatsApp arrives from a new number saying "Hi Mum" or "Hi Dad — this is my new number, I lost/broke my phone". After friendly chat, they ask you to urgently pay a bill or transfer money because they can't access online banking on the new phone. Losses have surpassed $10 million per year in Australia. The real scammer targets both older parents and young adult children.
Also known as: Hi Mum scam, family impersonation WhatsApp, new phone number scam, Hi Dad WhatsApp, child impersonation scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not send any money until you have voice-verified. Call your child on their original number — even if they claim they've lost it, ring anyway. If it rings and they answer, the message is a scam
- 2 If they can't answer voice, ask a personal question only they would know (a family in-joke, the name of a pet, a memory) — refuse to send anything without a satisfactory answer
- 3 Ignore any pressure to keep the conversation on WhatsApp. Suggest a video call instead — scammers refuse
- 4 If you have already sent money, contact your bank immediately — same-day PayID and Osko payments can occasionally be recalled if reported within hours
- 5 If your bank uses PayID, check the name that appears on the confirmation screen matches the person you're paying
- 6 Report to Scamwatch at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam or ReportCyber at https://www.cyber.gov.au/report.
Red flags
- ⚠ A WhatsApp arrives from a mobile number you don't recognise, opening with 'Hi Mum' or 'Hi Dad' and claiming to be your child on a new number
- ⚠ They quickly move the conversation to the reason for the message — an urgent bill, a rent payment, a bond, or a purchase that has to happen 'right now'
- ⚠ They cannot speak on the phone or send a voice note ('the new phone doesn't have my SIM yet' / 'I'm at work / on the bus / in a client meeting')
- ⚠ The bank details given are for a name that isn't your child's — they explain it as 'a friend's account, mine is being set up'
- ⚠ They express strong emotion ('please Mum I'm stressed', 'I'll pay you back tomorrow') to create urgency
- ⚠ The scammer often knows your child's first name because the target family is researched from public social media before the message arrives
Known variants
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Adult child impersonation variant: message sent to a younger recipient claiming to be their sibling, adult child, or partner. Same request pattern (new phone number, urgent bill), same money-mule bank account. Often targets people in their 30s-40s who are less familiar with the 'Hi Mum' warnings.
Last seen: 6/1/2026