"Hi Mom, this is my new number": what to do when your "child" asks for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mom, this is my new number": what to do when your "child" asks for money on WhatsApp

"Hi Mom, I changed my number, save this one and delete the old one." Or "Hi Dad, my phone broke, I'm using a friend's." 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 banking app. If you have this message open right now, stop for a moment: this is one of the most common WhatsApp scams around, 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 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 Mom" or "Hi Dad", with no name. If you reply "Is that you, Thandi?", you have just given them the name they needed.
2. The new-number excuse. The phone fell in the water, was stolen in a smash-and-grab, or "the SIM stopped working". It explains why they are writing from a number you do not know.
3. The excuse not to talk. "I can't call, the mic is broken", "I'm in a lecture", "my battery is about to die". The scammer cannot copy your child's voice, so they avoid any call.
4. A few messages to build trust. Small talk, emojis, "how are you?". Nothing is asked for yet.
5. The money emergency. A bill due today, rent, a deposit that will be lost, a fine. Because they "don't have the banking app on the new phone yet", they ask you to pay instead.
6. Someone else's account. The money must go by instant EFT, PayShap, an e-wallet or cash-send voucher to someone else: "a friend", "the landlord", "the shop". 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). In that case the chat looks normal, but the steps below still work: 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 you have proof 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 constant refusal to talk or to send a voice note.
• Pressure: "it has to be today", "if I don't pay now I lose it".
• The person getting the money is not your child, but someone else or a business.
• A request for secrecy: "don't tell Dad, he'll be upset".
• Words or a writing style that do not match how they normally message you.

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

1. Do not pay and do not reply with personal details. Do not give names, do not confirm anything and never forward a code that arrives by SMS.
2. Call your son or daughter on their usual number, the one saved in your contacts, not the new one. In most cases they will answer calmly and the scam ends right there.
3. If they do not answer, check another way: their partner, a brother or sister, a housemate 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. Your 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 your first dog, what you ate at the last family braai.
6. Save evidence before you block: screenshots of the whole chat, the number and the account or payment details they asked for.
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've already paid?

Do not blame yourself: this trick is built by professionals to get past careful people. What matters now is speed:

1. Call your bank's fraud line immediately (the number on the back of your card or in the banking app). Explain that it is a scam and ask them to try to stop or recall the payment. With instant payments the window is short, so every minute counts. If you paid with an e-wallet or cash-send voucher, ask whether it has already been collected. You will find more about getting money back on our blog.
2. Do not make any more payments, even if the "child" insists they only need "a little more".
3. Open a case at your nearest police station (SAPS), with the screenshots and the proof of payment, and ask for the case number. Your bank will usually ask for it.
4. If your own WhatsApp was stolen because you shared a code, register your number in the app again, switch on two-step verification (Settings Account Two-step verification) and warn your contacts.

If at any point there is a real threat or an emergency, call the police on 10111, or 112 from a cellphone.

How do I protect my family next time?

The best defence is for parents and grandparents to know the script before it reaches them. Tell them in these words: "If someone says they are me and messages you from another number asking for money, call me on my usual number before you pay anything." A few simple measures:

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

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) regularly warns about this kind of impersonation; sharing those warnings in the family group is a good way to start the conversation. A caller ID app like NoCall can show you whether a number has already been flagged by other users, but the call to the usual number is what really closes the door.

Frequently asked questions

The message says "Mom" 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 were just on the list.

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

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 instead of using the chat: if the account was stolen, they will know nothing about the message.

Is it worth reporting if I didn't lose 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 is the whole script. The answer is always the same too: do not pay, call the usual number and check another way. If you have already paid, call your bank's fraud line and open a case at SAPS. And if you have received the message, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop another parent from paying.