“Hi Mum, this is my new number”: the three-minute check that can stop a scam

“Hi Mum, my phone broke. This is my new number, message me here.” That is how a conversation begins that may feel completely ordinary for several minutes. Only later does a banking problem, unpaid bill or request for money towards a new phone appear.

The scam works because it does not attack the phone. It attacks the instinct to help someone close to you. A parent is unlikely to analyse writing style when they believe their child is in trouble. The criminal also supplies an explanation for why a call is impossible: the microphone is broken, the SIM is blocked or the old phone fell into water.

The complete story

Polish police have described messages sent to parents that move the conversation to WhatsApp. The sender claims to be using a borrowed or replacement phone, then asks for a transfer to buy or repair a device. The common thread is removal of the simplest test: a normal conversation with the person you know.

The request need not sound dramatic. A calm “could you pay this and I’ll return it tomorrow?” can be more convincing than a story about an accident. The bank account supposedly belongs to a shop or friend. The amount and tone may vary, but the mechanics remain: a new channel, no voice contact and pressure to help before checking.

A three-minute routine

When a new number asks for money:

1. Stop typing. Do not explain your suspicion or let more details pull you further into the story.
2. Call the old, saved number. Do it even if the message says that phone does not work.
3. Use another person or channel: a partner, sibling, the previous messaging account or the place where your relative is expected to be.
4. Ask something the family knows but that is not easy to find on social media. A birth date, a pet shown in photos or a mother’s maiden name are poor choices.
5. Do not transfer money, share a payment code or send a card image until identity has been confirmed independently.

A family emergency phrase can help, but it is not a magic shield. It should be unusual, never posted and changed after real use. More important is a shared understanding that checking a money request is normal and will not cause offence.

“But they know details about us”

A child’s name, school, holiday photo or mention of an earlier broken phone may come from public profiles or an old data leak. One accurate detail does not establish identity. A criminal can also guess: a mass “Hi Mum” campaign will eventually reach people who have children.

Writing style is not decisive either. People type differently when hurried, and short messages are hard to compare. The routine should therefore rely on independent contact, not intuition, emojis or spelling habits.

If money has already been sent

Call the bank immediately using a number from its official website or app and ask whether the transfer can be stopped. Provide the transaction time, amount and details for an instant mobile payment. Report the fraud to the police and retain the complete conversation, phone number, recipient account and payment confirmation.

In Poland, an SMS containing a link can be forwarded to 8080, while the incident can be reported through CERT Polska. Block and report the messaging account after taking screenshots. Warn relatives, because the criminal may try the same story with someone else.

Do not add “how could you fall for that?” to the victim’s burden. Shame delays contact with the bank and police, while the first minutes matter. A better question is: “What can we still stop, and which evidence should we preserve?”

Source facts and Breachroad’s conclusion

The pattern — a new number, an excuse that prevents a call and a request for money — comes from the police warning. The three-minute routine, family phrase and no-blame rule are Breachroad recommendations. They are intended to create a behaviour that still works when the message triggers genuine emotion.

This scam is not limited to older people and does not require takeover of the child’s real account. Share it with relatives and pair it with our guides to scams targeting older family members and payment-code requests from a compromised social account.

At work, the same instinct is exploited by a “manager” writing from a new number. Our employee cybersecurity training lets teams rehearse calm verification of money and access requests before the pressure is real.