Scamwatch said more than 1150 people nationwide had fallen victim to the scam in the first seven months of 2022 – the vast majority of them in June and July.
Known as “Hi Mum” or “family impersonation” scams, victims are contacted – most often through WhatsApp – by a scammer posing as a family member or friend.
The ‘Hi Mum’ phone scam targeting vulnerable parents
The scammer will claim they have lost or damaged their phone and are making contact from a new number.
Then, once they have developed a rapport with their target, the scammer will ask for personal information such as photos for their social media profile or money to help urgently pay a bill, contractor or replace the phone.
These requests continue the ruse of a lost or broken phone with the justification that the funds are needed because they can’t access their online banking temporarily.
Some messages will simply say “it’s me,” while in other cases the scammers appear to have contact information and use the name of the person they are impersonating.
“We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said.
“It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on…
