AUSTRALIANS LOST $7.2 MILLION TO A ‘HI MUM’ WHATSAPP SCAM MESSAGE

Fri 16 December 2022:

Another scam case makes headlines. This time a scam message has made Australians lose over seven million dollars this year.

The majority of the scams took place on Whatsapp, where fraudsters pretended to be family members and messaged asking for money.

The fraudsters texted “Hi mum” in the messages to get the victim’s attention, according to Money Control.

After the victim was convinced that the person texting them was their son or daughter or a close family member, the fraudster began requesting money, claiming that their phone had been stolen and requesting assistance using a new phone number.

The most common tactic is claiming to have lost or broken their phone as a justification for a funds transfer, because they can’t access their online banking, says the ACCC. The ACCC says scammers may also ask for personal information, which may then be used to scam other family members.

Overwhelming from the emotions of parenthood, the victims fall into the traps and send money to the scammers. So far this year $7.2 million has been reported stolen from at least 11,100 victims, the ACCC says. The number of victims impacted by the scam has increased tenfold from August, when the organisation reported that 1,150 Australians had fallen victim to the scam and total losses had reached $2.6 million.

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) claimed that the number of frauds raised rapidly in the last three months.

It said, “We’re urging Australians to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in ‘Hi Mum’ scams. More than 1,150 people fell victim to the scam, with total reported losses of $2.6 million.”

ACCC’s deputy chairman gave instructions. He said, “If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be your son, daughter, relative, or friend, start by calling them on the number already stored in your phone to confirm if it’s no longer in use. If they pick up – you know it’s a scam.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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