Scam awareness

The 'Hi Mum' WhatsApp scam

It's one of the most common family scams in the UK: a message from an unknown number that opens with "Hi Mum" or "Hi Dad" and a story about a broken phone. Here's how it works and how to stop it before any money moves.

Updated: 4 September 2026

How the scam works

You receive a message from an unfamiliar number: "Hi Mum, my phone's broken, this is my new number." The sender is warm and convincing, and quickly moves to the real reason for the message - they need money for an urgent bill, a replacement phone or to get out of trouble.

Because it arrives on WhatsApp or SMS and the tone is right, many parents save the "new number" and send money before ever speaking to their real child.

Warning signs

A message from an unknown number claiming to be a family member.
A story about a broken, lost or replaced phone.
A request to save a "new number" and delete the old one.
Urgency - a bill, a fine, or trouble that must be paid today.
Reluctance to talk on the phone or meet in person.

Why not just call the old number?

Calling the number you already have for them is a good instinct - and often enough. But the scammer will claim the old phone is broken, lost or disconnected, and urgency pushes people to skip the call.

And when you do reach a voice, it may not settle it: a cloned voice can sound exactly like them. You need a check that doesn't rely on the number or the voice.

Stop it in under a minute

Ask for a fresh response from the trusted phone linked to their identity. FamVerify sends a short-lived request to their trusted phone - the real one - which they approve with Face ID, fingerprint or passcode.

If the message is genuine, your child responds from their trusted phone in seconds. If it's a scammer, there is no trusted phone and no response - and you have your answer before any money moves.

FamVerify works like a family safe word that can't be faked: the response is signed fresh by the trusted phone behind their identity, not typed into a chat a stranger controls.

If you've been targeted

Don't send money or bank details to the new number.
Contact your family member on the number or in the way you normally would.
Report the message to WhatsApp and to Action Fraud (UK) or the police on 101.
If you've sent money, call your bank immediately using the number on your card.

See how Circle membership stays deliberate on the Security page, or read about urgent payment requests.