'Hi Mum' text scam

Another significant fraud concern occurring at the moment is the increasing number of mobile SMS text scams.

The Australian New South Wales (NSW) police Cybercrime Squad issued a warning in August 2022 (NSW Police News) after more than AUD $2 million was stolen under a 'Hi Mum' scam.

The scam involves the offender sending a text message from an unknown mobile phone number to a person on a messaging application claiming to be their son or daughter. The message will state they’ve lost their phone, telling the victim they’re sending the message from their new number and to delete the old number.

Once the victim engages in conversation, the offender will ask to borrow money or have a payment made on their behalf. This will generally include an excuse as to why they need it, for example unavailability of internet banking on their new device, and an offer to pay it back.

The offender will usually state it’s a matter of urgency before providing details for the payment. Victims in NSW and Victoria account for just over half of all ‘Hi Mum’ scam reports made to Australian law enforcement bodies, followed by Western Australia and Queensland.