Scamwatch warns of “Hi Mum” impersonation scams

26 August 2022

Scamwatch has issued a warning about a rise in cases of ‘Hi Mum’ or ‘family impersonation’ scams.

In these cases, victims are contacted by a scammer posing as a family member or friend. Most often contact is made through WhatsApp.

The scammer will claim they have lost or damaged their phone and are making contact from a new number. Once they develop a rapport, the scammer will then ask for personal information or money for urgent expenses as they can’t access online banking.

Some messages will simply say “it’s me,” while in other cases the scammers appear to have contact information and use the name of the person they are impersonating.      

The ACCC urges people who receive suspicious messages from a number they don’t recognise to independently verify the contact.

Learn more about this scam here.

Remember:

• If you receive an unexpected call, email, or SMS demanding payment from a source you do not recognise, do not provide personal or sensitive information, even if they claim to be someone you know. 
• Under NO circumstances withdraw funds from your account based on information from a call, email, or SMS.
• Independently verify their identity using details you saved.  Do not use the phone number or details they have used to contact you.  If it is a scam, the details provided may direct you back to the scammer.
• If you’ve been a victim of a scam, you can report it to the ACCC via the report a scam page to help protect others from similar scams. Visit scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
• If you are concerned about the security of your account, it’s very important you change ALL your Heritage Finance Holdings Online passwords and call us immediately on 13 14 22. 

Read more about the latest types of scams in America in our article Current Scams in America.