Melbourne man charged with ‘Hi Mum’ text message scam
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, more than 1,150 Australians fell victim to the Hi Mum scam in the first seven months of 2022, with a reported total loss of $2.6 million.
Women over the age of 55 made up more than two thirds of the target persons.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard has warned people to be wary of suspicious messages, particularly on WhatsApp.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Delia Rickard, the commission’s deputy chair, has previously urged anyone who receives a suspicious message, particularly via WhatsApp, to be extremely cautious.
“If you are contacted by someone claiming to be your son, daughter, relative or friend, first call them on the number already stored on your phone to confirm it is no longer being used. When they show up — you know it’s a scam,” Rickard said of the scam gathering momentum last year.
“If you can’t make contact, you should try a secondary contact method to verify who you’re talking to. If you still can’t reach your family member or friend, consider asking a personal question that a scammer couldn’t know the answer to, so you know the person you’re talking to is who they are spends.”
Police urged the public to learn more about community fraud on the commission’s website.
Our breaking news alert will notify you of important breaking news when it happens. get it here
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-man-21-charged-over-hi-mum-sms-scam-20230121-p5ceh5.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national Melbourne man charged with ‘Hi Mum’ text message scam
