"Hi Mum, I've got a new number": what to do if your "child" asks for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mum, I've got a new number": what to do if your "child" asks for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mum, I've changed my number, save this one and delete the old one." Or "Hi Dad, my phone's broken, I'm texting from a mate's." It arrives on WhatsApp (or by text) 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 banking app. If you have this message open right now, stop for a moment: this is one of the most common scams in New Zealand, and a single call to the usual number takes it apart. Here's what to do, step by step.

How exactly 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 every time:

1. The vague greeting. "Hi Mum" or "Hi Dad", with no name. If you reply "Is that you, Sophie?", you've just handed over the name they needed.
2. The new-number excuse. Phone dropped in the toilet, stolen at a party, or "I had to get a new SIM". It explains why they're messaging from an unknown number.
3. The excuse not to talk. "I can't call, the mic's broken", "I'm at work", "my battery's about to die". The scammer can't sound like your child, so they avoid any call.
4. A few trust-building messages. Small talk, emojis, "how's your day?". Nothing is asked for yet.
5. The money emergency. A power bill due today, rent, a phone that needs paying off, a fine. Because they "can't get into their banking on the new phone yet", they ask you to pay for them.
6. Someone else's bank account. The money has to go by online bank transfer to a third party: "my flatmate", "the landlord", "the shop". If you pay, a second request usually follows.

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

What are the red flags in the message?

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

• Unknown number and an empty or generic profile photo.
• No sign of your child's name, family nicknames or recent details only they would know.
• A steady refusal to talk by voice or send a voice message.
• Pressure: "it has to be today", "if I don't pay now I'll lose it".
• The person receiving the money isn't your child, but someone else or a business.
• A request for secrecy: "don't tell Dad, he'll be angry".
• Words or a writing style that don't match how they normally message you.

What do I do right now if I've received one?

1. Don't pay and don't reply with personal details. Don't give names, don't confirm anything and never send on a code that arrives by text.
2. Call your son or daughter on their usual number, the one saved in your contacts, not the new number. In the vast majority of cases they'll answer calmly and the scam ends there.
3. If they don't pick up, check another way: their partner, a sibling, a flatmate or someone at their work. No payment is so urgent it can't wait ten minutes.
4. Ask the new number for a voice message or a video call. A real child will do it without fuss; the scammer will find an excuse.
5. Ask a question that isn't on social media: the name of your first family pet, what you had for tea at the last family get-together.
6. Save evidence before you block: screenshots of the whole chat, the number and the bank account details they gave you.
7. Block and report the number in WhatsApp (open the chat, tap the name or number and choose "Report"). WhatsApp then receives the latest messages and can close the account. If it came as a text, you can also forward it free to 7726, the Department of Internal Affairs' scam-text reporting service.

Not sure? Own Your Online's scam check walks you through the warning signs.

What if I've already sent the money?

Don't 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). Explain that you've been scammed and ask them to try to stop or recall the payment. Online transfers can move fast, so every minute counts.
2. Don't send any more money, even if the "child" insists they only need "a bit more".
3. Report it to Police. Call 105 or use the 105 online service on the NZ Police website, with your screenshots and the payment receipt. Your bank may ask for the Police reference number.
4. Report the scam to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which collects reports about scams and online fraud, and read Consumer Protection's Scamwatch advice on what to do next.
5. If your own WhatsApp account was taken 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 anyone is in immediate danger, or a threat is happening now, call 111.

How do I protect my 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 says they're me, messages you from another number and asks for money, ring me on my usual number before you pay anything." A few simple steps:

• Agree a family rule: nobody asks for money by message only; any request is confirmed with a call.
• Agree a code word for real emergencies.
• Turn on WhatsApp two-step verification on everyone's phones, and remember the six-digit code is never shared with anyone.
• Check the privacy of your profile photo so strangers can't see it.

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

Frequently asked questions

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

What if my child really has changed number? Then they'll be happy to call you or send a voice message. A genuine number change 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 rather than replying in the chat: if the account has been hijacked, they'll know nothing about the message.

Is it worth reporting if I didn't lose any money? Yes. Reporting the number in WhatsApp and warning people around you helps shut the campaign down. 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 is always the same: don't pay, call the usual number and check another way. If you've already paid, call your bank, report it to Police on 105 and to the NCSC. And if you've received the message, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop another parent from paying.