Look out for text messages that appear to be from a family member claiming to have forgotten or lost their card and asking you to transfer money. It could be scam.
The ‘Hi Mum’ and similar scams that impersonate family members have been circulating for some time. However, the ACMA is aware of a new, more convincing variation, which labels the sender of the scam message as ‘Mum’ or another family member on your phone. This makes these scams difficult to distinguish from legitimate messages. Here are a few things to look out for, including:
- There will be a sense of urgency. The sender will claim that they forgot or brought the wrong bank/credit card when on a household errand such as getting petrol or groceries that requires money quickly.
- The sender will ask you to transfer them money electronically and will provide bank account details in the message.
Do not reply directly in the message stream. If you are concerned, call or contact your relative on the number already stored in your phone to confirm it's real.
Never send money without being sure who you are sending it to. Scamwatch reports that Australians lost $2.6 million to this scam type in the first 7 months of 2022.
Scammers target everyone. Learn more about how to protect yourself from phone scams on the ACMA website or make a report to Scamwatch.
If you fall victim to a scam, contact your financial institution and phone provider and let them know what’s happened as quickly as possible.
IDCARE can help if your identity has been compromised or stolen on 1800 595 160 or at https://www.idcare.org/.