Australians have rushed to social media to warn others about a terrible new variant of the well-known “Hi Mum” scam, which has defrauded victims out of more than $2.6 million so far this year.
The “Hi Mum” scam came to light earlier this month when authorities discovered con artists were preying on elderly Australians who were vulnerable by pretending to be their children.
When the victim responds to the fraudsters’ texts, they often demand an immediate loan or payment because they claim to be unable to access their own funds.
Older Australians were the primary target of the “Hi Mum” scam, which cost them millions of dollars.
Scammers are now using a nasty new strategy by impersonating parents and requesting financial assistance from their adult children.
Social media users have raced to share information about the latest hoax, which seems as a text from a parent requesting immediate help.
The family impersonation texts that have been posted online demonstrate how the messages are more deceptive and persuasive than texts from a random number when they appear in a chat thread as being sent by “Mum” or “Dad.”
The fraudsters introduce themselves as “Mum” or “Dad” in texts received by wary Australians before requesting money for groceries or gas.
I purchased the incorrect card when at the gas station. Please send 150 to me. One false parent texted, “I will pay you back when I get home,” followed by their bank information.
Many receivers of the messages claim that the “Mum” or “Dad” texts do not include a phone number since doing so would reveal the frauds.
Social media users are warning each other of a worrying new variation on the ‘Hi Mum’ scam. Picture: Facebook
One conman was not aware of his target. Image from Facebook
After victims reported losing $2.6 million in the first seven months of this year, authorities are warning Australians to be aware of sneaky SMS scams.
Delia Rickard, the deputy head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, emphasized the need of independently verifying questionable texts.
“We are alerting Australians to be very cautious of communications from unidentified numbers purporting to be from their children, parents, relatives, or friends,” “She spoke.
“Scammers will do everything to gain your personal information or money, and this specific fraud is designed to appeal to your emotions.”
The ACCC advises Australians to get in touch with the sender of the message through another method of contact or to inquire personally to learn who they really are.
Delia Rickard, the deputy head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, warns Australians to be on the lookout for SMS frauds.
It’s crucial to pause and consider any messages you get, particularly those sent over WhatsApp, since they likely come from scammers rather than members of your family or friends “added Ms. Rickard.
Above all, never transfer money without being 100 percent certain of the recipient.
The cautions come at a time when Australians claim to have lost more money than ever to crafty con artists. Through different frauds, locals lost a record $2 billion last year.
Police advise anybody who has lost money to fraud to get in touch with their bank right once and report the incident.