One fraudster behind the heartless 'Hi Mum' text scam has been caught
- Replies 5
Oh, what a cruel scheme the ‘Hi Mum’ text scam is.
At its core, it works by preying on family relationships, especially the bond between a parent and a child. It's not just financially devastating, but it can be emotionally devastating, too.
To summarise, this 'Hi Mum' text scam works when a cybercriminal texts a potential victim claiming to be their child, and asks for money urgently because they have supposedly lost or damaged their phone.
Other iterations of the child-in-need scenario we’ve talked a bit about in the past include the child seemingly being caught in a violent extortion attempt.
Even though this appears every now and again, we were all surprised (and dare we say it: relieved) to hear that a man from Templestowe in Melbourne has recently been charged in relation to using the scam to swindle victims out of a substantial amount of money.
The 21-year-old has been charged with five counts of obtaining property by deception after an intensive six-week investigation by Victorian Police.
According to Go To Court’s section on Criminal Law, ‘property’ as used in the context of fraud ‘specifically includes money and intangible property’. People found guilty of this offence face potentially up to ten years imprisonment in Victoria.
It's believed that fraudulent transactions were made between December 3-7 in a string of Melbourne suburbs.
In a statement, Victoria Police said: ‘It’s alleged electronic goods were obtained in person using false documents and a substantial amount of money was obtained under the “Hi Mum” scam via SMS.’
The young man is set to make an appearance at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in July.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said last December that Aussies lost at least $7.2 million in 2022 to the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.
If anything, while this development brings great news in the sense that people are being held accountable for such nasty actions, it’s also a sobering reminder that there are people out to take advantage of others.
Thankfully, they don’t always hit the mark.
One Sydney mum recently shared how she almost fell for the scam when she was sent a text from a cybercriminal impersonating her eldest son — who was urgently asking for $8900.
She had a moment of doubt and managed to expose the scam by asking a simple question (that her real son would have known) the scammer couldn't answer: the name of his maternal grandfather.
‘It was just a little voice that thought, “Is that really him?”’ the mum recalled.
‘I felt really bad asking him the first time. I could feel myself cringing. When he didn’t answer it the first time, I thought “Something is going on” because that should just roll off the tongue.’
And, of course, as you may know, our very own Maddie was sent the text scam as well back in December but to no avail, because she wasn’t a mum in the first place.
The two cases of botched scam attempts underscore an important thing to remember in encountering scam messages: asking questions or verifying.
In response to the development, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard issued a similar reminder to many unsuspecting parents who may receive the scam.
‘We are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends,’ she said.
‘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.
‘Above all, never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to.’
We feel it's incredibly important to bring attention to scams like this and to also take the recommended measures when these scams come to our attention.
So, if you’re ever unsure about a message you receive, make sure to independently verify it by reaching out to the sender through another form of communication (unrelated to their alleged problem) or question them to ascertain their identity.
Speaking of scams, you might want to find out how a couple lost $100,000 to a Westpac scam, how Sunrise’s David ‘Kochie’ Koch’s name was used to fleece a woman out of $150,000, or member @BJM's warning about a possible scam from a suspicious MyGov message he received.
So, what do you think of this story? Are you relieved they’ve been caught?
Tell us your thoughts and opinions below!
At its core, it works by preying on family relationships, especially the bond between a parent and a child. It's not just financially devastating, but it can be emotionally devastating, too.
To summarise, this 'Hi Mum' text scam works when a cybercriminal texts a potential victim claiming to be their child, and asks for money urgently because they have supposedly lost or damaged their phone.
Other iterations of the child-in-need scenario we’ve talked a bit about in the past include the child seemingly being caught in a violent extortion attempt.
Even though this appears every now and again, we were all surprised (and dare we say it: relieved) to hear that a man from Templestowe in Melbourne has recently been charged in relation to using the scam to swindle victims out of a substantial amount of money.
The 21-year-old has been charged with five counts of obtaining property by deception after an intensive six-week investigation by Victorian Police.
According to Go To Court’s section on Criminal Law, ‘property’ as used in the context of fraud ‘specifically includes money and intangible property’. People found guilty of this offence face potentially up to ten years imprisonment in Victoria.
The ‘Hi Mum’ scam notoriously takes advantage of one’s affection towards their children. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Anna Shvets
It's believed that fraudulent transactions were made between December 3-7 in a string of Melbourne suburbs.
In a statement, Victoria Police said: ‘It’s alleged electronic goods were obtained in person using false documents and a substantial amount of money was obtained under the “Hi Mum” scam via SMS.’
The young man is set to make an appearance at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in July.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said last December that Aussies lost at least $7.2 million in 2022 to the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.
If anything, while this development brings great news in the sense that people are being held accountable for such nasty actions, it’s also a sobering reminder that there are people out to take advantage of others.
Thankfully, they don’t always hit the mark.
One Sydney mum recently shared how she almost fell for the scam when she was sent a text from a cybercriminal impersonating her eldest son — who was urgently asking for $8900.
Sometimes following your gut instinct and asking questions pays off against scams.Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Anna Shvets
She had a moment of doubt and managed to expose the scam by asking a simple question (that her real son would have known) the scammer couldn't answer: the name of his maternal grandfather.
‘It was just a little voice that thought, “Is that really him?”’ the mum recalled.
‘I felt really bad asking him the first time. I could feel myself cringing. When he didn’t answer it the first time, I thought “Something is going on” because that should just roll off the tongue.’
And, of course, as you may know, our very own Maddie was sent the text scam as well back in December but to no avail, because she wasn’t a mum in the first place.
The two cases of botched scam attempts underscore an important thing to remember in encountering scam messages: asking questions or verifying.
In response to the development, ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard issued a similar reminder to many unsuspecting parents who may receive the scam.
‘We are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends,’ she said.
‘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.
‘Above all, never send money without being absolutely sure who you are sending it to.’
So, if you’re ever unsure about a message you receive, make sure to independently verify it by reaching out to the sender through another form of communication (unrelated to their alleged problem) or question them to ascertain their identity.
Speaking of scams, you might want to find out how a couple lost $100,000 to a Westpac scam, how Sunrise’s David ‘Kochie’ Koch’s name was used to fleece a woman out of $150,000, or member @BJM's warning about a possible scam from a suspicious MyGov message he received.
So, what do you think of this story? Are you relieved they’ve been caught?
Tell us your thoughts and opinions below!
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