[Janelle Ward]

The ‘Hi Mum’ text message became one of the most common scams in 2023. If you’re congratulating yourself on being well aware of that scam, be sure to stay up to date with its 2024 ‘cousin’.

That scam was simple but effective, with over 11,000 incidents reported in Australia. But now, we’re being warned the scheme has become more sophisticated.

NAB chief digital officer Suj Rana says opportunistic criminals are using the latest technology to trick unsuspecting parents.

“What’s changed is the ‘Hi Mum’ was a text message, and this has now evolved to become a phone call that a person will receive pretending to be from a family member in distress,” he told the Today Show.

“They can make these phone calls from as little as three seconds of video that is often obtained from your social media profile or from a voicemail,” he warned.

“We are seeing these scams already occurring in the US and UK … and we are expecting over the next few months for this type of scam to head down under.”

Are you prepared for the latest version of the ‘Hi Mum’ scam?

[annie]

I got one of these last year and knew it was a scam so I text back that I thought it was a scam because you never call me mum, you always call me mummy, long story short, the text ended with them replying, OK mummy. I’m usually suspicious of these as I know what my child contacts me for and it is not a lost phone etc. Best way to deal with these is to be suspicious first and contact said child to check. Just have to be vigilant these days.

[Hyde]

I received one and at first I believed it was my son thankfully I woke up before I lost any money, The next one I had such fun.
I replied, Really Horace you’re such an idiot, how much do you need.
Oh wow $800 for a new phone that’s a lot, I can only help a bit with $100, Dad had an accident taking your sister Darlene to her doctors appointment, by the way she’s having twins , and now we have to get a new car and Dad has a broken ankle. My wheelchair is no longer the right size for me since I have put on 40 kg, and quite frankly we were going to ask you for a loan.
Anyway, it went backwards and forwards for a while, my son was shaking his head as I was in hysterics, He said really Mum I am worried that since you retired you are a bit bored.
Probably, don’t mess with bored old people.

[Author]

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