If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

 

[riskydave]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

I don't have any children so this should be fun when they ring.

 

[AnnetteHawkes]

Some time ago I had this message sent to me. I have 4 children so I messaged each of them and they all replied. The scammers are guessing you only have one child. Always check.

 

[Glo72]

If these people worked as hard at a job as they do at trying rob people their lives could be more productive. I haven’t had this scam but I have had a lot. The phone calls have tapered off.

 

[mummygoth]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

I got one of these a while ago. My daughter lives in Ireland. She doesn't text me, she calls. She also doesn't spell it mumm. Deleted, just liike all the other unknown callers, shonky emails & texts.

 

[freedy50]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

I actually got an alleged email today from PayPal telling me about a $600 payment I was supposed to have made for a phone I am supposed to have bought. Forwarded to [email protected]

I only answer all calls/texts if there's a name to the number on my contact list otherwise they just go on my blocklist even if it is a legitimate number.

If anyone is wary about an unknown number, look it up on here. https://www.reverseau.com

 

[The Prawn]

Usually easy to recognize check spelling and diction, choice of words "mom" is a giveaway. Can't believe government and Telco's let this texting scams go on. Sometimes I think they are in on it, the Telco's.

 

[Tripper]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

 

[Tripper]

The nastiness I received yesterday was from a hacker. As I was having a lonely day, this hit me....message saying a close friend I knew had died....and a link. Thankfully I knew the person they had hacked would never be that blunt or uncaring. Given the loss and difficulties that so many have had this year it is even harder to shake off.

 

[Nana Zorak]

You are always going to get messages from unknown sources trying to get your money. I feel sorry for the ones caught in this trap be they the scammed or the scammers who are usually people who have little choice of work but are guaranteed a wage (of sorts) for doing the top scammers will. I certainly have had my share especially after I decided to try cryptocurrency. After my bank pulled my funds from the scheme I had bought into, all I got was people trying to get me to invest in something. Needless to say, they are now blocked as a precaution & I have learned not to be greedy for that extra dollar. I know it can be a hard lesson to learn but greed is the motivation behind these schemes. Don't be caught in the avarice trap,

 

[Judibing]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

Had both of those scams. Picked a spelling mistake my daughter would never have made, so deleted

 

[Luckyus]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

Have a specific code word or sentence, for your kids and drum it into them not to share with anyone and I do mean anyone even the boys in blue.

 

[RTS]

After having a package delivered I received two scam calls regarding packages I had to sign for. One was UPS and the other Australia Post. Somehow they knew about my legitimate delivery. This has happened to me before.

 

[chips]

I had a phone call yesterday from the cwlth bank telling me that my bank had been hacked and that $9000.00 was being transferred to Africa and they wanted to cancel my credit card and pin no was that all right when I said that I had no credit card they hung up

 

[Hrynpa]

If there’s one thing anyone can credit scammers for, it’s that they know their timing.

Unfortunately, that is, for everyone else going about their daily lives not defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

The recent weeks leading up to Christmas have seen authorities come out with warnings that criminals may take advantage of the holiday rush and try to catch people off guard to fleece their cash.

The government is now informing Aussies of the resurgence of a scam that parents and grandparents should especially watch out for: the ‘Hi Mum’ scam.

The scam involves someone pretending to be your child, claiming that they dropped their phones in the toilet or that people are holding them at knifepoint demanding they pay for a ‘drug debt’ worth thousands of dollars.

Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is!

View attachment 10890

The government is warning Aussies about a scam that surfaced earlier this year. Image Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov

The scam surfaced as far back as late July of this year, with users of WhatsApp reportedly being targeted.

In a related story, we posted in August, one couple lost almost $13,000 to this nasty technique. Several of our members also admitted to either receiving or falling victim to the scam.

And now, our very own Maddie shared that she received a similar message as well (the joke’s on the scammer though… read her warning why!).

An alarming detail she noticed was that the message she received was composed rather well, without the usual odd typos or bad grammar usually associated with sketchy texts or emails.

ScamWatch advises that parents who are recipients of these texts first verify the content by reaching their child by different means, such as a quick video call or through a number different from the one claiming to be related to them.

One couple was able to narrowly avoid becoming victims when their real son called just as they were about to transfer $4000 to the scammer.

Aussies are also encouraged to report the scams to the government here.

View attachment 10891

If a message appears out of the blue asking you for anything, be it money or to update your details, it would be best to ignore it. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Tyler Lastovich

If ever you fall victim, immediately contact relevant authorities such as your bank and the police to find out what the next steps to take are.

Usually, it is recommended to change relevant access codes, especially in phishing scams that trick people into giving important account details through suspicious links.

You might also want to read up on other scams crooks might pull on you here, which include fake websites, fake deliveries, and sketchy investment scams.

As of November this year, $8.7 million has been lost to scammers.

In related news, there’s also a scam targeting myGov users making the rounds that involves an alleged income tax return being unable to be processed, so watch out for that too!

You can also stay updated for more news about tricky scams at our Scam Watch forum (you’re welcome to post if you have something to warn readers about!).

So, what is your reaction to this story? Have you, like Maddie, received a similar message recently? What did you do after?

Tell us your thoughts and experiences below!

Source: YouTube/9 News Australia​

Yet another couple of ways we are being targeted by unscrupulous people

 

[Jan A]

Today I received another one of those "parcel awaiting delivery" scam texts. Given the time of year, when people may be sending or receiving more parcels than usual, this one would be easy to fall for. Do not be in any doubt - there is no parcel awaiting you, there is no payment of excess postage due. Enjoy deleting the text!