"Hi Mam, this is my new number": the WhatsApp scam and what to do

"Hi Mam, this is my new number": the WhatsApp scam and what to do

"Hi Mam, I've a new number, save this one and delete the old one." Or "Hi Dad, my phone's broken, I'm texting from a mate's." It lands on WhatsApp from a number that isn't in your contacts and, a little later, the urgency appears: a bill has to be paid today and "your child" can't do it from their own bank. If you have this message open right now, stop for a moment: this is one of the most common scams doing the rounds in Ireland, and a single call to the usual number takes it apart. Here's what to do, step by step.

How does this scam work?

The scammer doesn't know who you are. They send the same generic greeting to thousands of numbers and wait for someone to reply. From there they follow an almost identical script in every wave:

1. The vague greeting. "Hi Mam" or "Hi Dad", with no name. If you reply "Is that you, Aoife?", you've just handed over the name they needed.
2. The new-number excuse. Phone broken, dropped down the toilet, stolen, or "they gave me a new SIM". It explains why they're writing from an unknown number.
3. The excuse not to talk. "I can't ring, the mic is gone", "I'm in a lecture", "my battery's nearly dead". The scammer can't imitate your child's voice, so they dodge any call.
4. A few trust-building messages. Small talk, emojis, "how are you keeping?". Nothing is asked for yet.
5. The money emergency. A bill due today, rent, a purchase that will be cancelled, a fine. Because they "haven't the banking app set up on the new phone yet", they ask you to pay it for them.
6. Somebody else's account. The money has to go by bank transfer or Revolut to a third party: "a friend", "the landlord", "the shop". Instant payments arrive in seconds, which is exactly why they ask for them. If you pay, a second request usually follows.

There's a more dangerous variant: the message comes from your child's real number because their WhatsApp account has been stolen (usually by tricking them into sharing the six-digit code WhatsApp sends by text). The chat looks like the usual one, but the protocol below still works: a voice call exposes it.

What are the red flags?

None of them proves anything on its own, but if you see two or more together, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise:

• An unknown number and an empty or generic profile picture.
• No sign of your child's name, family nicknames or recent details only they would know.
• A steady refusal to talk or to send a voice note.
• Pressure: "it has to be today", "if I don't pay now I'll lose it".
• The person getting the money isn't your child, but someone else or a company.
• A request for secrecy: "don't tell Dad, he'll go mad".
• A way of writing that doesn't match how they normally text you.

What do I do right now?

1. Don't pay and don't send personal details. Don't give names, don't confirm anything, and never send on a code that arrives by text.
2. Ring your son or daughter on their usual number, the one saved in your contacts, not the new one. In the vast majority of cases they'll answer, puzzled, and the scam ends there.
3. If they don't answer, check another way: their partner, a brother or sister, a housemate or a colleague. No payment is so urgent it can't wait ten minutes.
4. Ask the new number for a voice note or a video call. Your real child will do it without fuss; the scammer will make excuses.
5. Ask a question that can't be found on social media: the name of your first dog, what you had for the dinner the last time the family was together.
6. Save evidence before blocking: screenshots of the whole chat, the number, and the account details (IBAN or payment link) they gave you.
7. Block and report the number in WhatsApp (open the chat, tap the name or number and choose "Report"). That sends WhatsApp the latest messages so it can close the account.

What if I've already paid?

Don't blame yourself: this trick is designed by professionals to get past caution. What matters now is speed:

1. Ring your bank immediately on its official number (the one on the back of your card or in its app). If you paid with Revolut or another app, use the support chat inside the app. Say it's a scam and ask them to try to stop or recall the payment. With instant payments the window is short, so every minute counts.
2. Don't make any more payments, even if the "child" insists that "just a bit more" is needed.
3. Report it to the Gardaí at your local Garda station, with the screenshots and the payment receipt. Fraud is investigated by An Garda Síochána, with the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau leading on serious fraud, but you report it locally. Your bank will often ask for the Garda report reference.
4. If your bank won't refund you and you disagree with its decision, make a formal complaint to the bank; if that doesn't resolve it, you can bring it to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).
5. If your own WhatsApp account has been stolen because you shared a code, register your number in the app again, turn on two-step verification (Settings Account Two-step verification) and warn your contacts.

If at any point there's a real threat or an emergency in progress, call 112 or 999.

How do I protect the family for next time?

The best defence is for parents and grandparents to know the script before it arrives. Tell them in these words: "If someone claiming to be me messages you from a different number and asks for money, ring me on my usual number before you pay anything." A few simple measures:

• Agree a family rule: nobody asks for money by text alone; every request is confirmed with a call.
• Agree a code word for real emergencies.
• Turn on WhatsApp two-step verification on everyone's phone, and remember that the six-digit code is never shared with anyone, ever.
• Check who can see your profile picture so strangers can't use it.

The CCPC's guide to social media scams and the banks' FraudSMART campaign both describe this "help, I'm in trouble" pattern, and they're worth sending to older relatives. A call and message identification app like NoCall can show you whether a number has already been flagged by other users, but the verification call to the usual number is what really closes the door.

Frequently asked questions

The message says "Mam" and I don't have children. Why did I get it? Because it's sent in bulk to random numbers or to numbers taken from data breaches. You weren't picked out: you just ended up on the list.

What if my child really has changed number? Then they'll have no problem ringing you or sending a voice note. A genuine new number never comes with an urgent need for you to pay a stranger.

The message comes from my child's usual number. Can it still be a scam? Yes, if their WhatsApp account has been taken over. Phone them, don't use the chat: if the account has been stolen, they won't know anything about the message.

Is it worth reporting if I didn't lose any money? Yes. Reporting the number in WhatsApp and warning the people around you helps cut the campaign short. Report it in the spam numbers directory too.

In short

New number, an excuse not to talk, urgency and someone else's account: that's the whole script. The answer never changes either: don't pay, ring the usual number and check another way. If you've already paid, ring your bank and report it to the Gardaí. And if you've received the message, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop another parent from paying.