Is this a scam text? Worried sick

[Ellenaa]

Posting for my mum!

sister is on night out, doesn’t keep in touch every night in her 30s. Mum received this text “hi mum smashed my phone, using a friends but it’s running out of battery. Can you text me on my new number?” (Then had a new number)

I told my mum it’s a scam because

1. she never usually gets in touch why the need to get in touch tonight?
2. she’s not replied to mymesssges but they’re being delivered
3. how would she have got a new phone so quick?
4. why not text off the new number?

going to show replies to mum who’s now worried sick and probably won’t sleep

This literally came in 10 minutes ago on my OH phone, said mum not dad.

Old scam that is doing the rounds again.

I had one of these last week. Neither of my kids bother with pleasantries like ‘Hi mum’. They usually just launch straight into ‘Can I have the Wispa in the fridge?’ or ‘Can I go on the school trip to Paris?’ Actually, thinking about it, the scammers are probably cheaper than than the kids. A quick call to your sister on her real phone number should set your mum’s mind at rest.

I replied "you can't be my child as my children know how to use apostrophes".

I had one of these - I text the number and said I'll be on my way now to fix that phone for you and funnily enough they vanished

Scam as well

BIG BIG SCAM. I had one so i messaged back, asking what my middle name was, that screwed them haha

Ask the sender to face time, bet they dont

i Like to have some fun:

”wtf James, I sent you money for a new phone yesterday. You better pay me back now”

(James is obviously not my child)

Definitely 100% a scam. Well known scam

Messy but fun. Love that!!

Dh got one of these the other day which he knew straight away it wasn’t any of our adult dcs, as the writing style was totally off plus our dcs (there’s 5 to choose from!) will always address themselves they are when informing us of a number change.

ah I literally got the same text the other day. Didn’t know it was a scam but just replied ‘wrong number’.

Scam - I got it 3 weeks ago. My son is 11.

Also was just thinking the other day when did scam texts become such a regular thing. Got one about covid and have had several about missed packages etc in recent weeks.

If in doubt, ask for a voice note

Missed package I got last week. So I replied a false name but a genuine zip code. actually if they tried to deliver again they would have ended up on a car park in Oxford

Forgot to add, his message started “Hi Dad” and they were adamant that he should delete the old number, save the new one and add it to what’s app!!

My mum has one last week she had a panic about it but luckily my DB was there and he rang me to see if I was ok
My Mum did text the number back and said that she had an old Nokia somewhere and she’d find it and drop it round she never heard anymore from them

100% a scam. A work colleagues poor mum was fooled by it and replied to them. Got another message saying they were in trouble and needed urgent help with money etc. She ended up sending them about £1500 😓
Luckily the bank blocked the transaction and her money was returned.

Eek, I had this exact text last week and assumed it was a wrong number as I don't have kids.
Now knowing that it is a well-known scam makes me uneasy because if it was sent to my mum, she would 100% think it was from me and fall for it.

These are idiotic people looking for kind souls who will send money.
It's not a 'dark web red room' situation.

Frightening people is very unhelpful, and nonsensical.
They want money to be given voluntarily.
Texting back is of no consequence, unless you are planning to send a bank transfer to a random.

An elderly lady we know is not very savvy with this callous stuff so we set up an arrangement with her? everyone who sends her messages must include a trigger line at the end like. How’s Frank or I need shopping. No trigger. Delete

I’ve had that text and both kids were with me at the time so knew it was a scam.

Nope not always it can be much deeper and more sinister than that.they use actual girls to be on the other end of the phone.obviously not for talking to a relative scams but for others if you request a video to see if the person is real the scammers are using woman to do this.sometimes trafficked.
What I mean is for a genuine lost phone case, the person losing the phone video calls the parent on the borrowed phone to have a real time conversation (rather than the text, which could be anyone).

Definitely a scam. My brother got one. Last time I checked he isn't a mother.

Hope your mum is okay!