WhatsApp warning as parents receive distressed 'hello mum' text scam – Daily Star

All parents using WhatsApp are being asked to keep an eye out for odd texts due to a spike in WhatsApp scams targeting middle aged people. Though not a new scam, Action Fraud has warned that there’s been a steep rise in parents receiving distressing messages asking for money, from scammers claiming to be their children. Reports from the cyber crime organisation show that there have been 25 instances of the scam reported between August and October this year, with victims losing nearly £50,000. Here’s what you need to know about the scam and what you can do protect yourself. What is the ‘hello mum’ scam targeting parents on WhatsApp? Victims have lost nearly £50,000 to the common WhatsApp scam which targets parents (Image: AFP via Getty Images) The crafty WhatsApp scam sees parents receive texts claiming to be from their children, coming from unknown numbers. The scammer’s message starts with “hello mum”, before saying: “I have a little problem I need to solve… can you help me with it?” When parents offer to help their child, the bad actors will then say that they need to transfer all their apps to their new device, but that their banking app…
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