Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

 

[Jan Purcell]

Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

View attachment 16111

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

View attachment 16112

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

View attachment 16113

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

hang up the phone and ring back on the original ph number to see if its your child. And if they catch these low life scum, they should be named and shamed, and have a very heavy fine and jail.

 

[elaine41]

This scam has been around for ages now. Surely she has heard about it before but, obviously, ignored the warnings. We have been told over & over & over again to beware of these scams but still people fall for them. How many times do they have to be told? I'm ashamed to say that I'm not sorry for her because she ignored all the warnings.

 

[Aussie all the Way]

IDIOT

 

[Big M]

Yes it is amazing that people still fall for this scam - surely they have seen it happen to people !

 

[terri]

It is a hard thing to ignore a plea from your child, but it seems her children have become quite dependent on her for help all the time. I think it might be time for her to let her children sort out their own financial issues for the time being. Phones are not cheap so losing or breaking them often is irresponsible. But unfortunately it has cost her a lot of money and maybe not a lesson she herself has learnt yet.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Do these people live under a rock or something. How many times do they need to be told. There's no way I would be sending $11,000 to any of my family that's a lot of money to ask for.
Perhaps it's about time she told her children to grow up, pay their own bills and live within their means as she said this is a common occurrence.

 

[Gsr]

While I feel sorry for her for losing her money I wonder WHY did she not contact her daughter after she received the first phone call. Most people keep their phone numbers even when they change phones, I’m sure her daughter wouldn’t be changing her number every time she gets a new phone, which seems like a lot. Also WHY would anyone pay $11,000 to a ? family member without first checking what it is for? So many warning signals about this being a scam she ignored.

 

[Leeta069]

This scam has been around for ages now. Surely she has heard about it before but, obviously, ignored the warnings. We have been told over & over & over again to beware of these scams but still people fall for them. How many times do they have to be told? I'm ashamed to say that I'm not sorry for her because she ignored all the warnings.

I had never heard of it before and I am always on the net!!!! I very nearly got caught but thankfully Centrelink stopped my pension cos of a stuff up or I most likely would have sent the money thinking it was for my son! The one asking me for money wasn't asking anywhere near that much but was still a lot for me but for my son I would have done it, thankfully I decided to check with him first after thinking about it. So have some compassion, not everyone knows everything like you!

And for those saying it was a phone call, NO, IT WASN'T, IT WAS A TEXT MESSAGE!!!

Sorry I just needed to vent at all the negative comments, it is so easy to fall for a scam.....you just never know when it will hapen to you. I thought I would never fall for one but I very nearly did

 

[Isis]

Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

View attachment 16111

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

View attachment 16112

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

View attachment 16113

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

My best friend was one who got caught. Commonsense didn’t enter into it. Mother panic took over. All we can do is as I do putting it up on social media as a warning and hope that it is remembered when they receive those cruel messages. May I suggest that if we all do it it will be a lot harder for people to fall for the scams

 

[rehandra]

Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

View attachment 16111

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

View attachment 16112

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

View attachment 16113

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

Are people living under a rock???? This scam has been around for quite a while now....!! We got a letter posted from France this week all neatly typed up supposed from some firm in Paris saying my husband was a beneficiary of $500K plus. Gave phone number, address Supposedly some guy with the same surname was wiped out in a car accident ten years ago ...he and all his family in car. I knew straight away it was a scam but for fun looked up to find the car accident...nothing.....firm was dubious as well. Of course this has gone into the shredder. So beware they are sending typed letters as well through the post.
p

 

[Gsr]

I had never heard of it before and I am always on the net!!!! I very nearly got caught but thankfully Centrelink stopped my pension cos of a stuff up or I most likely would have sent the money thinking it was for my son! The one asking me for money wasn't asking anywhere near that much but was still a lot for me but for my son I would have done it, thankfully I decided to check with him first after thinking about it. So have some compassion, not everyone knows everything like you!

And for those saying it was a phone call, NO, IT WASN'T, IT WAS A TEXT MESSAGE!!!

Sorry I just needed to vent at all the negative comments, it is so easy to fall for a scam.....you just never know when it will hapen to you. I thought I would never fall for one but I very nearly did

Text msg, well still WHY did she not check it was from her daughter, especially from a different phone number. As I stated people rarely change their phone no just because they get a new phone, why would you do that when you lose all your data changing it, including your contacts list.

 

[Colette 3799]

I had never heard of it before and I am always on the net!!!! I very nearly got caught but thankfully Centrelink stopped my pension cos of a stuff up or I most likely would have sent the money thinking it was for my son! The one asking me for money wasn't asking anywhere near that much but was still a lot for me but for my son I would have done it, thankfully I decided to check with him first after thinking about it. So have some compassion, not everyone knows everything like you!

And for those saying it was a phone call, NO, IT WASN'T, IT WAS A TEXT MESSAGE!!!

Sorry I just needed to vent at all the negative comments, it is so easy to fall for a scam.....you just never know when it will hapen to you. I thought I would never fall for one but I very nearly did

The last text I got asking for money like this I just texted back “I DONT CARE!!”. if I thought it was for real I would be checking by speaking to my boys first before sending any money for sure.

 

[Kaybee]

Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

View attachment 16111

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

View attachment 16112

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

View attachment 16113

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

 

[Kaybee]

I think if you send a couple of messages asking the name of the child and their original phone number. This stops them in their track as they would not know either.

 

[Barbara V]

T

Beware! Scammers are no longer just using old tricks to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money. They have become more cunning and deceptive in their ways, making it even harder to identify their ploys.

One of their latest scams involves preying on the emotions of older Australians by impersonating their family members and tricking them into transferring large sums of money.

Recently, a mum from Victoria was left devastated after losing a staggering $11,000 to these fraudsters.

Can you imagine falling victim to such a cruel trick and losing such a significant amount of money? It can happen to anyone, and that's what makes this scam so dangerous.

View attachment 16111

Merrilees had been busy at work when she received a WhatsApp message that said, 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number'. Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.

Nina Merrilees, the victim, shared how she was deceived into sending money to the scammers, thinking it was her daughter in need. The message came via WhatsApp, and it appeared to be a genuine message from her daughter, who was supposedly using a new phone number.

The message said: 'Hi Mum, my phone is broken, this is my new number.'

This scenario was not out of the ordinary for Merrilees, as her daughter had lost or broken her phone before and had to get a new number. So she thought nothing of it when she received the message.

After the initial message, the scammers sent another message, asking for help with urgent payments. Merrilees, thinking that she was helping her daughter, agreed to provide the assistance, as it was not unusual for her to make payments for her children.

To make the scam more convincing, the fraudsters even added emojis like love hearts and smiley faces to make the messages seem more genuine. After some time, the mum sent a series of payments using Osko, totalling $11,000.

View attachment 16112

It was only when Merrilees emailed her daughter afterwards that she realised the horrifying truth. Credit: Kindel Media.

The aftermath of falling for a scam can be emotionally and financially devastating, as Merrilees found out. After making several payments, she began to feel uneasy and decided to email her daughter, only to be contacted almost immediately by her daughter's old number.

It was then that she realised she had fallen prey to a scam, and the sinking feeling of losing her hard-earned money overwhelmed her. 'I felt physically sick,' she said.

Despite seeking assistance from her bank and the police, recovering the lost money has yet to be successful.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian mum lost $11,000 after falling victim to the 'Hi Mum' scam.
• The scam involves receiving a text message claiming to be from a family member, asking to borrow money and providing bank account details for the transfer.
• In this particular case, the scammers pretended to be the victim's daughter, who lives in New Zealand, requesting help making payments due to a broken phone.

It's disheartening to hear that Nina Merrilees' experience is not an isolated incident. According to a recent report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost a staggering $1.8 billion to scams in 2021, which is a record high.

The report, which is based on an analysis of over 560,000 reports and data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks, and money remitters, estimates that the actual losses are much higher than the reported amount.

Furthermore, the ACCC has received over 9,700 reports of 'Hi Mum' scams in 2022, totalling losses of nearly $7.2 million. It's a concerning trend that shows no sign of slowing down.

To make matters worse, scammers are now using alpha tags (a name or a string of text that appears in place of a phone number as the sender ID), making it even more difficult to identify a scam. In this new variant of the scam, the message appears to be from a genuine family member, complete with the contact details and all, making it harder to detect.

View attachment 16113

It's important for us to be aware of such scams and to always be wary of who we are sending money to. Credit: Unsplash/ROBIN WORRALL.

This experience is a reminder that scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated ways to deceive and manipulate their victims.

It's crucial to be vigilant and cautious, especially when it comes to unsolicited requests for money, even if they seem to come from a trusted source. Always double-check with the person directly, preferably through a different communication channel, and never rush into making a payment.

If you're ever looking for the latest information on scams and other similar incidents, the Scam Watch forum on the SDC website is the place to go! Make sure to check it out and stay informed.

Members, do you have any other tips for avoiding scams like this? Or have you ever gone through a similar experience? Share your stories and any experiences you have in the comments below!

This one's been around for a while,my scammers made the mistake of adding dad to the Hi but I am widowed.If I'm not totally sure of a email ,msg or phone call I delete or just hang up. On phone calls if you dial the number 9 times out of ten it won't be connected so next time it rings I don't answer as number is shown on my phone

 

[Trudi]

This lady frequently gives money to her children to help them out, so she would have their bank details. I have made loans to my children on occasions and I have their bank details as I only do transfers from my account to theirs.

It didn't occur to her as strange that with a change of phone number (rather than transferring the number to their new mobile), they would also change their bank account?

 

[Ashmenou]

I don’t understand why people are still falling for this kind of scams. Just hang up and call you loved one directly

 

[MindyMac]

Yet another person who has shown proof that they never watch the news, never watch shows like A Current Affair, never read newspapers, never read articles like this but sure enough they link their bank account to their iphone and/or home computer.

I will 'never' link my bank account to any iphone, mobile, computer. Not ever as long as I possibly can. I even take extra precautions to protect myself and have Skim Guard cards in my wallet that put up a hidden barrier so people walking past or shops that have skimming machines place in their stores, or staff working a places like petrol stations, even places like Woolworths, Coles, IGA ..etc ... are sneaky and place their skimming device near the checkout when they are working. I also have the newer Skim Guard cards that now also protect membership cards like RSL Membership, store membership ... all these cards have one's personal details on that black strip.

Please people, if you are going to lend or give money to help someone, take the money from your bank and personally go to their bank and do a cash deposit there. Or, even a Bank Cheque if it's a larger amount. The bank cheque may cost you $10 but it's better than walking from one bank to another with a large amount even for a few minutes. Or, do several withdrawals and then several deposits. Say $200-$500 at a time. You'll just get exercise doing it this way. But never and I mean 'never ever' use your device to transfer money. In fact, never add you bank account and/or your credit card to your iphone/mobile. I also take extra protection and only use my landline phone to phone and pay my bills with my credit card and also only use my landline phone to BPay my credit card. Use your iphone/mobile or even your computer to transfer money from your bank account and you are a goner. You will have to close that bank account and go to a completely new bank and set-up a new bank account just to stay safe. Then contact Centrelink, etc.. so you get the money.

This lady frequently gives money to her children to help them out, so she would have their bank details. I have made loans to my children on occasions and I have their bank details as I only do transfers from my account to theirs.

It didn't occur to her as strange that with a change of phone number (rather than transferring the number to their new mobile), they would also change their bank account?

You should 'never ever' use your phone/computer to transfer money or pay bills. Just once, hackers can find this and take all your money.

 

[MindyMac]

It is a hard thing to ignore a plea from your child, but it seems her children have become quite dependent on her for help all the time. I think it might be time for her to let her children sort out their own financial issues for the time being. Phones are not cheap so losing or breaking them often is irresponsible. But unfortunately it has cost her a lot of money and maybe not a lesson she herself has learnt yet.

I think she should make her children hand back this money to her because she has been lending them money all the time in the past. Had they not been doing this she may not have fallen for the scam. I hope this lady sets up a new bank account. Cancels the old phone and never again link her bank account or credit card to any phone.