Weird text messages

[user478965227857]

My friend and cousin have each received a weird text message recently.

Both along the same lines, "I broke my phone, can you WhatsApp me on 07xxxxxxxx" but what's the scam?

My friend WhatsApped the number and it was a weird response. We then found them on snapchat and added them before they got rid of the sim cards attached to the numbers.

Has anyone had similar?

They will ask you for money.

So they're just messaging you on the off chance that you'd believe that they are your child? Why the two numbers and why didn't they ask for money during the exchange?

This is quite a well known scam. Someone whats apps you pretending to be your ds or dd and saying they are using a different phone. They then go on to say they need some money and to ask you to transfer it to an account.

Yep they pretend to be your child then ask for money

They just didn't follow through.

I'm also confused about the multiple sim cards and just discarding them. And linking snapchat accounts to their number.

It must be a scam but it just seems very stupid and not well thought out.

Here's the one I got

How bizarre.

Surely 99% of people would contact said child and check?

Did you receive it recently? Is it a new scam?

It's not that stupid. My lovely, trusting, elderly Mum tried to transfer money. My Dad stopped her just in time.

She would do anything for her kids. It was about £900 iirc.

Was months ago.

I’m a fraud company complaint manager for a bank and we’ve been inundated with customers who’ve been scammed with this. The number of people who just accept it’s their child texting and send them money is astounding. Even when they do text back ‘who is this?’ The scammer often replies with ‘who do you think it is?’ Or ‘it’s your favourite child’ and the person just accepts it’s someone they know without the scammer volunteering any information that would only be known by their child.

The initial text is bulk sent to thousands of numbers in the hope some will reply. When they do, an actual human being scammer will try to make you believe they’re your child, eventually asking for cash, and inevitably a handful of gullible people will send them some money. An easy job for a few quid.

'Send mum a selfie' ion that exchange will have deterred the scammers from going further to the money stage - whether intentional or not, it sounded like an attempt to get then to prove identity!

‘a handful of gullible people’ - sadly there’s thousands of gullible people who’ve fallen for this scam

This scam has been on the go for a long time.

I get one every day but I know it's not my child as she never calls me mum 🤣🤣

I replied "that would have worked if only I'd got kids". I was immediately blocked 😬

I had one of these and contacted the bank that the fraudsters were using (they asked me for money and sent the bank details) but the bank weren't interested.

This is most definitely a well known scam

....but I know obv my kids' bank account details so if I was asked from any phone number I would only transfer to their accounts so no scammers would get the money
(And my kids would be chuffed)
So I don't understand either

You would hope people would check but unfortunately 100s of people are sending £1000s assuming it's their child

I received mine the end of June-
This is how it went for

Hello Mum, damaged my phone today.. I'm using this new number just until I get it fixed at the phone repair shop.. Message me with a reply when you've saved it. Xx

Me - saved

My phone fell down the toilet .. It wont turn on now! All of my pictures and contacts are on there, I'm scared I might lose them. Such a pain. X

Me - Do your pictures save to iCloud or similar?

Hopefully the phone shop can get it repaired, fingers crossed 🤞

I'm having a nightmare with another issue that I need help with. X

Me - ?

My bank have frozen my account because I've attempted to set it up too many times on this phone.I've got an invoice that I need to pay today, if I don't pay it today they'll add extra charges. Could you make the payment for me? I'll transfer the money back when I can access my banking app again. X

Me - Ok

Please text me.

Me - Want to make sure it's you!

Its definitely me

Me - Prove it

No further contact 😁

When I see this (frequent) scam I always think of the way both my sons speak to me. One has a very particular joke pet name for me and the other has an ironic way of talking. Both have different but distinctive turns of phrase and use familial words/abbreviations so it’s really unlikely I’d think it was them!

I might think it was possibly my dd if they called me "bruh" or "my dude". 🙄

😂

I know someone who fell for it and send hundreds over. I don't think they got the money back either.

www2.ourwatchmember.org.uk/Alerts/A/37336

It's been around for a while. The next step us your "child" is in trouble and they need you to transfer them some money.

This Neighbourhood Watch Alert from the summer is probably just a fraction of how much has really been scammed.