MUM SCAMMED $15 000 FROM DECEPTIVE TEXTS

Vanessa Forster (right), pictured with her family, says her mother was targetted by a ‘Hi Mum’ scam. (Photo: Supplied.)

In Perth, the parents of a Wickham woman were scammed out of $15 000 after receiving a string of deceptive texts.

 Scamwatch is urging the public to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in ‘Hi Mum’ scams in recent months.

More than 1,150 Australians fell victim to the so-called ‘Hi Mum’ scam in the first seven months of this year, with total reported losses of $2.6 million.

The vast majority of these scams were reported in June and July 2022.

Wickham resident Vanessa Forster said her parents believed they were talking to their daughter.

“They got a message saying, ‘Hey Mum, I’m really stressed. I’ve dropped my phone in the toilet. I’m going to call you from my friend Jodie’s phone,’'“ Ms Forster said.

“About ten seconds later, a message goes through to my mum’s phone, saying ‘Hey Mum, it’s me. I’m on Jodie’s phone. Really need to talk to you. I’m just really stressed out.’

“At that moment … my mum decided to stop messaging my old phone number, because she genuinely thought my phone was busted.”

In ‘Hi Mum’ or ‘family impersonation’ scams, victims are contacted - most often through WhatsApp - by a scammer posing as a family member or friend.

Ms Forster said that after one hour of texting the scammer, her mother deposited $15 000 into a bank account.

“[They] transferred the money, thinking it was for their beautiful daughter,” she said.

“Somehow, the scammers had created this story … that [was] so far from the truth, and had convinced them to put the money in a different bank account.

“On reflection, it doesn’t make sense, but in the moment, over an hour, a mother’s love is strong for her daughter.

Within 15 minutes of the money going through, the scammer said, ‘Thank you, but I really need another ten grand.’

“And that was the moment that my mum and dad realised it wasn’t me.”

Gwynneth Haywood from Consumer Protection in the Pilbara said the ‘Hi Mum’ scams have been around for a while.

“Certainly they do pull at the heart strings,” she said.

“We’re urging people to check first with their family before they send any money.”

She says Consumer Protection may be able to assist with getting the money returned.

“It may be that the money may be recovered if it’s an Australian [scammer],” she said.