As technology progresses, cyber criminals seem to become more sophisticated in their tactics to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money.

Appearing to be more 'legitimate' business establishments, many of these scams involve a simple story that appeals to emotions.

The 'Hi Mum' scam has been a particularly notorious rouse lately, and it appears no one is safe.

It usually goes something like this: your family member texts you saying they got stuck at Woolworths without enough money to cover their grocery bill and so need some cash sent over immediately.

In this case, our keen hero – a dad from the Sunshine Coast – was no fool. When he got a text claiming to be from his son about needing cash for groceries at Woolies, he had a brilliant response at the ready.

The text message read: ‘I’m at Woolworths and brought the wrong card with me. Can you please send me $314.32, I will pay you back when I get home.’

Knowing that the message was not sent by any of his kids, the dad came up with a cheeky reply, writing: 'Just find the cashier named [blank]. He let me [blank] him the other day to take payment for the week's groceries.’

'Last month I bent over the canned tuna and took it up the [blank] to pay for your dad's birthday shopping. I'm sure he will do the same for you. Love Mum.'

One dad has come up with a hilarious way to fight off a scammer who tried to trick him via text message. Credit: Facebook.

What a hilarious way to shut down a scammer!

As soon as the dad posted his response on Facebook, many users applauded the dad for his comeback.

One user praised: ‘That’s gold!’

Many others shared their own experiences receiving similar text messages.

One person shared: ‘I got one this morning saying it was from mum – knew it wasn’t as no picture on contact details. And mum wouldn’t spend $800 at Woolies.’

‘I sent a message back, laughed and said “I don’t have any kids”,’ another added.

The dad's clever response merely goes to demonstrate that while scams pose a threat to many of us, staying calm and fighting them off with humour is a great way to turn a bad situation into something good.

The notorious ‘Hi Mum’ scam has been around for some time now, and Australians have already lost millions of dollars as a result of it.

The ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said this is an alert for Australians to stay vigilant when it comes to online communication.

She said: 'We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends.’

'Scammers will stop at nothing to get your personal details or money and this particular scam is designed to pull your heartstrings.

'It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on WhatsApp, because chances are it’s not your family member or friend – it’s a scammer.'

Ms Rickard also provided some useful tips to identify and avoid scammers:

• Contact your family member or friend on a number already stored on your phone to confirm whether the number is still in use

• Ask a personal question that a scammer couldn’t know the answer to

• Never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to

Those who encounter scammers are also encouraged to report it to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.

Key Takeaways

• Clever Australians have responded to a scam where fraudsters pose as kids stranded in Woolworths without money.
• A dad shared his creative response to the scam, which was labelled 'gold' by the community.
• Fraudsters have been using SMS identification technology to have their messages show up from 'mum' rather than a random phone number.
• The ACCC urged Australians to never send money without being absolutely sure of who they are sending it to.

So, members, if you ever receive a suspicious call or message from somebody claiming to be a relative or friend, please stop and think about it before responding.

Have you ever received a scam message like this one? Or know someone who has? Share your stories with us in the comments.

 

[Emmy Im12]

As technology progresses, cyber criminals seem to become more sophisticated in their tactics to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money.

Appearing to be more 'legitimate' business establishments, many of these scams involve a simple story that appeals to emotions.

The 'Hi Mum' scam has been a particularly notorious rouse lately, and it appears no one is safe.

It usually goes something like this: your family member texts you saying they got stuck at Woolworths without enough money to cover their grocery bill and so need some cash sent over immediately.

In this case, our keen hero – a dad from the Sunshine Coast – was no fool. When he got a text claiming to be from his son about needing cash for groceries at Woolies, he had a brilliant response at the ready.

The text message read: ‘I’m at Woolworths and brought the wrong card with me. Can you please send me $314.32, I will pay you back when I get home.’

Knowing that the message was not sent by any of his kids, the dad came up with a cheeky reply, writing: 'Just find the cashier named [blank]. He let me [blank] him the other day to take payment for the week's groceries.’

'Last month I bent over the canned tuna and took it up the [blank] to pay for your dad's birthday shopping. I'm sure he will do the same for you. Love Mum.'

One dad has come up with a hilarious way to fight off a scammer who tried to trick him via text message. Credit: Facebook.

What a hilarious way to shut down a scammer!

As soon as the dad posted his response on Facebook, many users applauded the dad for his comeback.

One user praised: ‘That’s gold!’

Many others shared their own experiences receiving similar text messages.

One person shared: ‘I got one this morning saying it was from mum – knew it wasn’t as no picture on contact details. And mum wouldn’t spend $800 at Woolies.’

‘I sent a message back, laughed and said “I don’t have any kids”,’ another added.

The dad's clever response merely goes to demonstrate that while scams pose a threat to many of us, staying calm and fighting them off with humour is a great way to turn a bad situation into something good.

The notorious ‘Hi Mum’ scam has been around for some time now, and Australians have already lost millions of dollars as a result of it.

The ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said this is an alert for Australians to stay vigilant when it comes to online communication.

She said: 'We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends.’

'Scammers will stop at nothing to get your personal details or money and this particular scam is designed to pull your heartstrings.

'It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on WhatsApp, because chances are it’s not your family member or friend – it’s a scammer.'

Ms Rickard also provided some useful tips to identify and avoid scammers:

• Contact your family member or friend on a number already stored on your phone to confirm whether the number is still in use

• Ask a personal question that a scammer couldn’t know the answer to

• Never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to

Those who encounter scammers are also encouraged to report it to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.

Key Takeaways

• Clever Australians have responded to a scam where fraudsters pose as kids stranded in Woolworths without money.
• A dad shared his creative response to the scam, which was labelled 'gold' by the community.
• Fraudsters have been using SMS identification technology to have their messages show up from 'mum' rather than a random phone number.
• The ACCC urged Australians to never send money without being absolutely sure of who they are sending it to.

So, members, if you ever receive a suspicious call or message from somebody claiming to be a relative or friend, please stop and think about it before responding.

Have you ever received a scam message like this one? Or know someone who has? Share your stories with us in the comments.

Good on you a very clever response

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

A marvellous response to a scam-attempt which can only be described as "Brazen" (defined below).
Only yesterday my spouse received one of these "Hi Mum" texts; she's in her late fifties and childless.....

 

[Granny*Deb]

Loved this fellow's quick thinking! Again be vigilant and give no one your details.

 

[nunna]

As technology progresses, cyber criminals seem to become more sophisticated in their tactics to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money.

Appearing to be more 'legitimate' business establishments, many of these scams involve a simple story that appeals to emotions.

The 'Hi Mum' scam has been a particularly notorious rouse lately, and it appears no one is safe.

It usually goes something like this: your family member texts you saying they got stuck at Woolworths without enough money to cover their grocery bill and so need some cash sent over immediately.

In this case, our keen hero – a dad from the Sunshine Coast – was no fool. When he got a text claiming to be from his son about needing cash for groceries at Woolies, he had a brilliant response at the ready.

The text message read: ‘I’m at Woolworths and brought the wrong card with me. Can you please send me $314.32, I will pay you back when I get home.’

Knowing that the message was not sent by any of his kids, the dad came up with a cheeky reply, writing: 'Just find the cashier named [blank]. He let me [blank] him the other day to take payment for the week's groceries.’

'Last month I bent over the canned tuna and took it up the [blank] to pay for your dad's birthday shopping. I'm sure he will do the same for you. Love Mum.'

One dad has come up with a hilarious way to fight off a scammer who tried to trick him via text message. Credit: Facebook.

What a hilarious way to shut down a scammer!

As soon as the dad posted his response on Facebook, many users applauded the dad for his comeback.

One user praised: ‘That’s gold!’

Many others shared their own experiences receiving similar text messages.

One person shared: ‘I got one this morning saying it was from mum – knew it wasn’t as no picture on contact details. And mum wouldn’t spend $800 at Woolies.’

‘I sent a message back, laughed and said “I don’t have any kids”,’ another added.

The dad's clever response merely goes to demonstrate that while scams pose a threat to many of us, staying calm and fighting them off with humour is a great way to turn a bad situation into something good.

The notorious ‘Hi Mum’ scam has been around for some time now, and Australians have already lost millions of dollars as a result of it.

The ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said this is an alert for Australians to stay vigilant when it comes to online communication.

She said: 'We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends.’

'Scammers will stop at nothing to get your personal details or money and this particular scam is designed to pull your heartstrings.

'It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on WhatsApp, because chances are it’s not your family member or friend – it’s a scammer.'

Ms Rickard also provided some useful tips to identify and avoid scammers:

• Contact your family member or friend on a number already stored on your phone to confirm whether the number is still in use

• Ask a personal question that a scammer couldn’t know the answer to

• Never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to

Those who encounter scammers are also encouraged to report it to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.

Key Takeaways

• Clever Australians have responded to a scam where fraudsters pose as kids stranded in Woolworths without money.
• A dad shared his creative response to the scam, which was labelled 'gold' by the community.
• Fraudsters have been using SMS identification technology to have their messages show up from 'mum' rather than a random phone number.
• The ACCC urged Australians to never send money without being absolutely sure of who they are sending it to.

So, members, if you ever receive a suspicious call or message from somebody claiming to be a relative or friend, please stop and think about it before responding.

Have you ever received a scam message like this one? Or know someone who has? Share your stories with us in the comments.

Yes I have received multiple ones. The best way is just delete otherwise they could pass your phone or email to others.

 

[AngelAriel]

As technology progresses, cyber criminals seem to become more sophisticated in their tactics to dupe unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money.

Appearing to be more 'legitimate' business establishments, many of these scams involve a simple story that appeals to emotions.

The 'Hi Mum' scam has been a particularly notorious rouse lately, and it appears no one is safe.

It usually goes something like this: your family member texts you saying they got stuck at Woolworths without enough money to cover their grocery bill and so need some cash sent over immediately.

In this case, our keen hero – a dad from the Sunshine Coast – was no fool. When he got a text claiming to be from his son about needing cash for groceries at Woolies, he had a brilliant response at the ready.

The text message read: ‘I’m at Woolworths and brought the wrong card with me. Can you please send me $314.32, I will pay you back when I get home.’

Knowing that the message was not sent by any of his kids, the dad came up with a cheeky reply, writing: 'Just find the cashier named [blank]. He let me [blank] him the other day to take payment for the week's groceries.’

'Last month I bent over the canned tuna and took it up the [blank] to pay for your dad's birthday shopping. I'm sure he will do the same for you. Love Mum.'

One dad has come up with a hilarious way to fight off a scammer who tried to trick him via text message. Credit: Facebook.

What a hilarious way to shut down a scammer!

As soon as the dad posted his response on Facebook, many users applauded the dad for his comeback.

One user praised: ‘That’s gold!’

Many others shared their own experiences receiving similar text messages.

One person shared: ‘I got one this morning saying it was from mum – knew it wasn’t as no picture on contact details. And mum wouldn’t spend $800 at Woolies.’

‘I sent a message back, laughed and said “I don’t have any kids”,’ another added.

The dad's clever response merely goes to demonstrate that while scams pose a threat to many of us, staying calm and fighting them off with humour is a great way to turn a bad situation into something good.

The notorious ‘Hi Mum’ scam has been around for some time now, and Australians have already lost millions of dollars as a result of it.

The ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said this is an alert for Australians to stay vigilant when it comes to online communication.

She said: 'We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends.’

'Scammers will stop at nothing to get your personal details or money and this particular scam is designed to pull your heartstrings.

'It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on WhatsApp, because chances are it’s not your family member or friend – it’s a scammer.'

Ms Rickard also provided some useful tips to identify and avoid scammers:

• Contact your family member or friend on a number already stored on your phone to confirm whether the number is still in use

• Ask a personal question that a scammer couldn’t know the answer to

• Never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to

Those who encounter scammers are also encouraged to report it to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.

Key Takeaways

• Clever Australians have responded to a scam where fraudsters pose as kids stranded in Woolworths without money.
• A dad shared his creative response to the scam, which was labelled 'gold' by the community.
• Fraudsters have been using SMS identification technology to have their messages show up from 'mum' rather than a random phone number.
• The ACCC urged Australians to never send money without being absolutely sure of who they are sending it to.

So, members, if you ever receive a suspicious call or message from somebody claiming to be a relative or friend, please stop and think about it before responding.

Have you ever received a scam message like this one? Or know someone who has? Share your stories with us in the comments.

I got the text. Asked 'which kid are you?' They texted 'your oldest', I texted, that doesnt help you are a triplet! Didnt hear back again. lol

 

[Pam White]

I have had about 5 Hi Mum texts, but recently got a Hi Dad one! I am female and our son still lives at home!!

 

[Davo65]

I had the same scam message this morning.
Since I'm male I replied that I will never be a mum and they can go "FLICK" themselves.
That they will never get their filthy thieving fingers on my money.

 

[PepeLePew]

My son nearly got caught by this scam a couple of wks ago. He had actually gone into his online banking when it suddenly clicked with him that he had changed the name Mum in his phone to my first name, that I don't shop at Woolworths, I only have one bank card and I never buy $360.00 worth of groceries at one go. He was at work and very busy at the time he recieved the text so am glad he was on the ball and didn't get caught. Have since had a discussion with him and told him if he ever thinks it might be a genuine text from me then to ring me first and that includes the scam where the person says they have broken their phone and are texting from a friends number.

 

[MindyMac]

Classic. My friend's name at the grocery store ... I would have said just ask for Slick. That's his nick name. He'll fix U-up. The scammers make me sick. I also get messages that I have not paid my tax or my E-Tag is $owing. I don't have an E-tag for my car. How can you owe tax when one is now on the Disability Pension. But they keep trying and so many fall victim. Please everyone. If unsure, never phone the number they have because it's them. If it's someone you know. Phone them. Never ever send money or pay anything when $demanding money. Look up their phone number on the white pages, because sure-enough they will tell you it's a scam. They will also want to know as well so their new dept. that look for scamming learn about new scammers trying something new. The government departments, stores, banks ... they need to know and pass on that info to their own head Office and to their new dept that is dealing with all of these scams. Even Bunnings has a scam dept. I reported a case just last week and they have sent it to the scam/fraud dept. They can also take it up with the police & Australian federal police as well if they track them down and track down in Australia as well.