Hi Mum, bye money – the scam that pulls on parents’ heart strings

• Scammers target parents, pretending to be children needing urgent money
• Losses from WA victims amount to almost $120,000
• Parents urged to verify sender before sending money or credit card details

A growing number of victims in WA are falling for a text scam that targets parents who receive desperate messages for help from impostors pretending to be their son or daughter.

In the past two months, 47 reports have been received by WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection, with 25 WA victims reportedly losing a total of almost $120,000. One individual loss was as high as $19,810. Authorities from other states have also received reports of losses from victims.

The texts supposedly from their son or daughter firstly tell parents that their phone has been lost or damaged, or they’ve changed service providers, and that’s why they are receiving messages from a different phone number.

The messages received via text or Whatsapp usually start with ‘Hi Mum’ and continue to say they are in urgent need of money for various reasons, including:

• Need their credit card details or a bank transfer to pay for phone repairs or buy a new one;
• Need to pay an urgent bill or rent because they can’t access their bank account, promises to pay the parents back when banking services are restored;
• Sons and daughters living or travelling overseas requiring emergency funds because they are in trouble.

Stop and think before transferring any money or giving out their credit card details.

Parent’s receiving these texts must verify the sender by asking questions that only their child can answer. Alternatively call the original number saved in your contacts, not the new number, to verify that the phone isn’t working. This action will reveal if it’s a scam before any money is sent and scammers profit from their deception.

Victims who have sent money or given credit card details should contact their bank or credit card provider immediately to try to stop the transfer or ensure there are no unauthorised withdrawals from their credit card.

Inquiries can be made by email consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.

You can also report a scam. 

Also see Help Me scam