WhatsApp users warned over two-word scam that could cost you thousands

The “Hi mum” scam is still making the rounds, and continues to be a successful method for swindlers to con money out of unsuspecting WhatsApp users. Here’s how to avoid it

With billions of users worldwide, WhatsApp’s enormous popularity makes it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to profit from unsuspecting victims.

This extensively-used messaging platform continues to be a breeding ground for online scammers, and there’s one particular con that British users must remain alert to.

The infamous “Hi mum” fraud is still circulating and remains a disturbingly effective tactic for crooks to extract money from vulnerable WhatsApp users.

For those unfamiliar with this scheme, it begins with what appears to be a harmless message, usually opening with “Hi mum” or “Hi dad.”

Should the recipient fall for the ruse, the con artists then weave a tale about losing their phone and needing urgent funds for a replacement, reports Bristol Live.

While it might sound far-fetched, enormous amounts of money have been stolen from people across the UK through these criminals, according to the Express.

Latest data from Santander UK reveals that fraudsters impersonating a recipient’s son have achieved the greatest success, with those pretending to be daughters coming second, followed by those masquerading as mothers.

In a bid to stop more people becoming victims of this con, Action Fraud has released a new alert encouraging WhatsApp users to remain cautious.

“Beware of fraudsters posing as friends or family, and claiming to need urgent financial help,” Action Fraud warned in a post on X (previously Twitter).

They recommended: “If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity.”

Action Fraud is encouraging members of the public to remain alert and take swift action by blocking any dubious messages and reporting them if they believe they’ve become victims of a messaging fraud.

Providing additional detail, Action Fraud explained: “Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp.

“Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.

“If you lost money as a result of the scam message, please report it to Action Fraud.”

The advice is simple – if you receive a text from an unfamiliar sender, don’t respond. If the message appears to be from a family member, ignore the text and ring your relative directly to confirm whether it’s genuine and establish if it’s fraudulent.