"Hi Mummy, this is my new number": the fake child asking for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mummy, this is my new number": the fake child asking for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mummy, I've changed my number, save this one." Or "Daddy, my phone fell inside water, I'm using a friend's own." It arrives on WhatsApp from a number that is not in your contacts and, a little later, the urgency appears: something has to be paid today and "your child" cannot do it from their own bank app. If you have this message open right now, pause: this is one of the most common WhatsApp scams, and a single call to the usual number takes it apart. Here is what to do, step by step.

How exactly does this scam work?

The scammer does not know who you are. They send the same vague greeting to thousands of numbers and wait for someone to reply. From there the script barely changes:

1. The vague greeting. "Hi Mummy" or "Hi Daddy", with no name. If you reply "Is that you, Chidi?", you have just handed over the name they needed.
2. The new-number excuse. The phone got spoilt, was stolen at the bus stop, fell in water, or "my line was blocked because of NIN". It explains why they are messaging from an unknown number.
3. The excuse not to talk. "I can't call, the mic is not working", "I'm in a lecture", "battery is almost dead". The scammer cannot imitate your child's voice, so they avoid any call.
4. A few trust-building messages. Small talk, emojis, "how is everybody at home?". Nothing is requested yet.
5. The money emergency. School fees due today, rent, hostel balance, a "POS person" waiting, a phone they are buying that will be resold if they do not pay now. Since the banking app "is not on the new phone yet", they ask you to pay instead.
6. Someone else's account. The money has to go by bank transfer, USSD or a fintech app such as OPay, PalmPay or Moniepoint to another person: "my friend", "the landlord", "the vendor". If you pay, a second request usually follows.

There is 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 SMS. The chat looks normal, but the protocol below still works: a voice call exposes it.

What are the red flags in the message?

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

• Unknown number and an empty or generic profile picture.
• No sign of your child's name, family pet names or recent details only they would know.
• Repeated refusal to talk by voice or to send a voice note.
• Pressure: "it must be today", "if I don't pay now I'll lose it".
• The account receiving the money is not in your child's name, but in a stranger's or a business name.
• A request for secrecy: "don't tell Daddy, he will shout".
• Expressions, spelling or a writing style that do not match how they normally chat with you.

What do I do right now if I have received one?

1. Do not pay and do not reply with personal details. Do not give names, do not confirm anything and never send any code that arrives by SMS.
2. Call your son's or daughter's usual number, the one saved in your phone, not the new number. In most cases they will pick up calmly and the scam ends there.
3. If they do not pick up, check another way: a sibling, their roommate, a coursemate, their spouse or a colleague. No payment is so urgent that it cannot wait ten minutes.
4. Ask the new number for a voice note or a video call. A real child will do it without fuss; the scammer will make excuses.
5. Ask a control question that cannot be found on social media: the name of the family's first dog, what you ate at the last family gathering.
6. Save evidence before blocking: screenshots of the whole chat, the number and the account details they asked you to pay into.
7. Block and report the number in WhatsApp (open the chat, tap the name or number and choose "Report"). That way WhatsApp receives the latest messages and can close the account.

What if I have already made the transfer?

Do not blame yourself: this trick is designed by professionals to get past caution. What matters now is speed:

1. Call your bank immediately on its official number (the one on the back of your card or in its app), or use the fraud option in the app. Explain that it is a scam and ask them to try to block or recall the transfer and flag the receiving account. Instant transfers move fast, so every minute counts.
2. Do not make any more payments, even if the supposed child insists that "only small is remaining".
3. Report it to the police. Go to a police station or report it to the Nigeria Police Force's National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) through its e-reporting portal, with the screenshots and the payment receipt. Financial fraud can also be reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
4. If your bank does not resolve your complaint, you can escalate it to the Central Bank of Nigeria's consumer protection department, keeping your complaint reference number.
5. If your own WhatsApp account has been stolen because you shared a code, follow WhatsApp's guide to recover a compromised account: register your number in the app again, turn on two-step verification and warn your contacts.

If at any point there is a real threat or an emergency in progress, call 112, Nigeria's toll-free emergency number.

How do I protect my family for next time?

The best defence is for parents and grandparents to know the script before they receive it. Tell them in plain words: "If anybody claiming to be me messages you from another number and asks for money, call my normal line before you pay anything." A few simple measures:

• Agree a family rule: nobody asks for money by chat only; 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 cannot copy it.

A call and message identification app like NoCall can help you see whether a number has already been flagged by other users, but the verification call to the usual number is what really shuts the door.

Frequently asked questions

The message says "Mummy" and I don't have children. Why did I get it? Because it is sent in bulk to random numbers or numbers taken from data leaks. You were not chosen; you simply ended up on the list.

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

The message comes from my child's usual number. Can it still be a scam? Yes, if their WhatsApp has been hijacked. Phone them; do not use the chat. If the account has been taken over, they will know nothing 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 too in the spam numbers directory.

In short

New number, an excuse not to talk, urgency and a third party's account: that is the whole script. The answer is always the same: do not pay, call the usual number and check another way. If you have already paid, call your bank, report it to the police and the EFCC, and escalate to the CBN if the bank does not help. And if you have received the message, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop another mother or father from paying.