Fraud Alert: 'Hi Mum' WhatsApp scam that cost Australians over Rs 57 crore

Scammers have responded to the dramatic increase in the usage of digital systems by coming up with novel approaches to take advantage of the trusting. According to a report in The Independent, an Australian text messaging scam known as "Hi Mum" caused victims to lose over $7 million (about Rs 57 crore) in 2022.

According to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, the scam's victim count has multiplied by 10 in only the previous three months (ACCC). The ACCC estimates that 11,100 people have been victims of theft totaling $7.2 million in 2022. The majority of the fatalities were made up of women aged 55 and over.

The fraudster operates by pretending to be a member of the victim's family and asking for financial assistance. The con artist poses as a youngster, contacts the victim over WhatsApp with a message reading "Hi mom," and claims to have misplaced their phone and be reaching out from a new number. The next paragraph, according to the cops, goes something like this: "I've changed provider/lost/broken my phone - I'm temporarily using this number for now."

Once the parent has been caught off guard, the con artist will continue the discussion by claiming to be in need of immediate financial assistance due to a family emergency. The victims then wire money to the bank accounts given by the con artists, which are sometimes fraudulently set up.

Consumers were warned by the ACCC to be aware of such communications and to double-check the contacts before giving any money. Scammers may also ask for personal information, which might be shared with other members of the victim's family.

When a parent responds to the scammer's first request for aid, the fraudster will often try to convince them that they are in a dire financial bind and beg for money to get them out of it. Next, the victims wire money to the bank accounts given by the con artists, which are sometimes fraudulently set up.

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For this reason, the ACCC has urged the public to exercise caution when receiving such SMS and to double-check the recipients' identities before transmitting any money. Scammers may also ask for personal information, which might be shared with other members of the victim's family.