To think this is a scam

There is no need to send out "this is my new number" messages on WhatsApp. You can just change the phone number on your WhatsApp account and continue as normal.

of course it's a scam. All these kind of messages are. They're designed to get you to engage. I'm surprised how many people aren't wise to this.

So what if she message back if the person is not genuine, she can still blick it and avoid further messages.

As has been mentioned, a reply confirms to a scammer that the number is active - cue endless scam calls and texts because OP will go onto a 'potential suckers' list.

If A in your example has an iota of common sense, he/she will realise their mistake and phone, from a different number if needed, rather than assume they have been ghosted.

Received a text saying

"Hi Kate, just to let you know my new mobile number, speak soon xx"

No sign off. How am I expected to know who it is? Am I bloody psychic? Or is it a scam? I put the number in whocalledme.com but nothing came up.

Has anyone else received a message like this? I've blocked it but screenshotted the text and number for future reference.

Do you know any Kate’s at all? Otherwise I would presume someone just misdialled the number when updating their new phone/SIM card. - it is possible they had to tap in all their contacts and where unable to transfer data via the cloud /system backup.

Imagine contacting the police before sending a reply to say, sorry who's this? Scarlet for ya OP.

It's worrying how many people think this is probably legit because they know your name.

Treat ALL unknown numbers as scams unless you can speak to the person and verify with absolute certainty who they are.

I would be ignoring the text. If genuine they would have signed it off with a name for starters. What prat is going to text you about a new number and not provide their name?

You are spectacularly missing the point.

So many people were happy to consider the text legit because it included a name. Yes in this scenario it was but the correct protocol should always be to assume scam until the identity of the other party is verified, not drop your defences if a message includes your name.

I'd you'd read the OPs comments you'd have seen that it was in fact the prat of her best friend. Maybe everyone you know is perfect and would never make a silly mistake of missing their name off the text but you must be able to understand that most humans are on occasion fallible

It's worrying how many people think this is probably legit because they know your name.

Treat ALL unknown numbers as scams unless you can speak to the person and verify with absolute certainty who they are.

I would be ignoring the text. If genuine they would have signed it off with a name for starters. What prat is going to text you about a new number and not provide their name?

High drama this morning. The officer in charge of my ongoing crime report has been brilliant and said I did the right thing.

@Theredoubtableskins if you'd been the victim of crime you too would be anxious. The officer called the number and called me back. It's my scatty best friend who forgot to put her name on the text. We all had a laugh about it.

Cue some posts accusing me of wasting police time ...

And then they can see my WhatsApp profile can't they?

Susan hadn't been introduced by the time of the post that I responded to.

Only if they happen upon a Kate who also then has a friend called Susan when they reply to the who dis message and then falls for a long con where "Susan" eventually asks for money without having had any genuine contact with the real Susan in the meanwhile

That's quite some odds

I’d love to say it was impossible for scammers to find out your name first, but it really isn’t. It can actually be relatively simple, especially if you’ve ever used a phone number for work.

Think about it - if hackers can get the details of your bank account and address and spoof the helpline number of your bank, finding out someone’s first name shouldn’t be that hard.

Obviously not, I mentioned that just to point out not every one is sensible or able to understand these things, having the same old biddy ring me back FOUR times because she had got a call from my number which absolutely was a scam and I told her it was a scam and not to reply to unknown numbers, etc, etc, FOUR times, shows how vulnerable some people are. That lady would no doubt have rung back and probably done whatever the person said so it's worth them randomly sending those messages until they find someone vulnerable.

Maybe they don’t? Maybe they’ve automatically generated thousands of “dear Kate” texts knowing a small proportion will land up with a “Kate”. Tiny cost of doing this is well repaid by ending up with someone who thinks it’s genuine because “they know my name”

How would a scammer know your name and even if it was one nothings going to happen if you reply and ask who it is

Ditto. I work in FCP and AML and definitely advise not to reply to unknown numbers.

Its a naive viewpoint to say ‘well they’ve not asked for money’ - as we know there’s many ways of scamming without asking for cash