“Hey Mum, it’s me. I have broken my phone and I need some money urgently!”
This is the deceiving message that scammers are now sending to unsuspecting and caring victims causing them to lose thousands of dollars.
So, how does this scam work? Commonly known as family impersonation scams, the victim receives a message from the scammer purporting to be their child. They will claim that their mobile phone has been lost or broken and that’s why they are using a different mobile phone number. The scammer will typically say they are short of money or late paying bills and then request the recipient to urgently transfer money into an account. Scammers will use both text messages and messaging apps to reel their victims in.
How to avoid family impersonation scams-
- “Hey Mum, it’s me…” is a very believable message for many people to receive, but if you’re contacted unexpectedly by a number you don’t recognise and they start requesting money – keep calm.
- You may feel a sense of urgency in the messages as the scammer will try to convince you or pressure you to pay quickly, but it is important to stop and think as it could protect you and your money.
- Call the original number that you have saved for that person and speak to them to confirm that the message was in fact sent by them.
- Does the message sound like your family member? Look at the tone and language they’ve used in their messages. If you’re still in doubt, ask a question that only your family member could answer.
For further information on scams affecting South Australians, please visit https://www.police.sa.gov.au/scams
