Australian phone number search
The Hi Mum scam
By the StoryCheck team · 5 min read · Published 18 August 2026
It arrives as a text or a WhatsApp message from a number you do not recognise. Hi Mum, I broke my phone, this is my new number. Everything that follows is built on you accepting that first sentence.
Why the new number matters
The new number is not a detail, it is the entire mechanism. It explains why the message does not come from the contact you know, it explains why the writing sounds different, and it means you cannot reach the real person on the thread you are reading. Once you accept it, every other oddity has a ready explanation.
How it escalates
The request is always urgent, always modest enough to be plausible, and always time limited: a bill that must be paid today, a payment that will not go through from the new phone. It usually moves to a bank transfer, because a transfer you authorise yourself is far harder to reverse than a card payment.
The check that ends it takes ten seconds. Call the number you already have saved for them. If they answer, the message was a scam.
If you already sent money
Call your bank immediately and tell them it was a scam payment, because recovery depends almost entirely on speed. Report it to Scamwatch. Keep the number and the messages, because they matter to the report. If you want to know what the sending number actually is, a reverse lookup will tell you whether it is a real mobile or a VoIP line with no history.
| What the message says | Why it is suspicious | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hi Mum, this is my new number | The new number is what stops you verifying | Call the number you already have saved |
| I broke my phone | Explains away the different number and tone | Ask something only they would know |
| I need you to pay a bill today | Urgency prevents you thinking it over | Wait, and speak to them by voice first |
| Can you transfer it to this account | Transfers are far harder to reverse than cards | Do not transfer anything |
| Do not tell Dad, he will worry | Isolation is deliberate | Tell another family member immediately |
Common questions
How do I know for certain it is not my child?
Call the number you already have saved for them, not the new one. If they answer their own phone, the message was a scam. Asking a question only they would know is a reasonable second step.
Why does the message sound like them?
It does not have to. The broken phone explanation is doing the work: it excuses the different number, the different tone and the inability to talk. That is why the story always comes first.
Can I get the money back?
Sometimes, if you act very quickly. Call your bank the moment you realise and tell them it was a scam payment. Then report it to Scamwatch.
Related guides
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