“Hi Mum” scam: new number messages and cloned voices

The "Hi Mum" scam is a message from an unknown number. The sender says they are your son or daughter with a new phone, and soon they ask for money. A newer version adds a voice note or a call that sounds like your relative, made with software that can copy a voice from a short recording. Before you send anything, call your relative on the number you already have, or ask them something only they would know.

How the scam works

It usually starts on WhatsApp or by text message: "Hi Mum, this is my new number, my phone broke. Save this one and delete the old one." It feels normal, because phones really do get lost and broken. Scammers send the same message to many numbers at once. They don't need to know who you are. They only need some of the people who read it to have a child, a parent or a sibling who could have written it.

After a short, friendly chat, the request arrives. There is a bill that must be paid today, or a phone to replace, or the bank app doesn't work on the new phone yet. They ask you to transfer money, and very often the account is in someone else's name: "it's my friend's account" or "pay the shop directly". Sometimes they ask instead for a code that just arrived on your phone by text message. That is an attempt to take over your WhatsApp account, which our guide on WhatsApp two-step verification explains.

The newer version: a voice that sounds like them

Voice cloning means using software that listens to recordings of a person and then produces new speech in an imitation of their voice. The US Federal Trade Commission warned in its consumer alert on family emergency scams that a scammer needs only a short audio clip, which can come from videos people post online, to make a call that sounds like a loved one in trouble.

It helps to be realistic about what this means. A short sample can be enough for a few convincing seconds, especially in a noisy voice note or a crying, rushed call. It is much harder for a copied voice to hold a long, natural conversation, answer unexpected questions or know family details. And many "voice" scams use no cloning at all: a stranger cries, says "Mum, it's me", and lets you fill in the name. Either way the answer is the same. Don't trust the voice. Check through another channel.

The warning signs

• A new or unknown number, with an excuse: the phone was lost, broken or stolen, or it's a work phone.
• They avoid a normal call. The microphone is broken, they're in class, they can only type. Or the call is short and ends before you can ask anything.
• Urgency and secrecy: it has to be now, today, and "don't tell Dad".
• The money goes to a third party, an account in another person's name, not your relative's own account.
• They ask for a code that arrived by text message, or for your card details.
• Small things feel off: a greeting they never use, no nickname, different spelling.

How to check, step by step

1. Don't act on the request yet. Take a minute. The hurry is part of the trick.
2. Call your relative on the old number, the one already saved in your phone. If they answer, the "new number" story falls apart. If the phone is off, try again, or call someone who is usually with them: a partner, a flatmate, their workplace.
3. Ask a question only the real person can answer, and that is not on social media. The name of a childhood neighbour or what you cooked last Sunday works. Their birthday or school doesn't, because those are often public.
4. Use your family code word if you have one (see below).
5. If you're still unsure, paste the message into the scam checker. It reads the text in your browser and looks for the wording of common scams. Only links found in the message are sent to our server, to see where they really lead and how old their domain is. Many of these messages have no link at all, so "no warning signs" is not proof it's real. The call to the old number is the real test.
6. If it was a scam, block and report the number in WhatsApp, and tell the rest of the family. The same people often write to several relatives in the same week.

One more tip: if a message says "Hi Mum" and you have more than one child, don't reply "Which one of you is this?" or "Is that you, Valentina?". You'd be giving them the name. Ask them to say who they are.

Agree a family code word

A code word is a word or short phrase your family agrees on in person, to use if anyone ever asks for urgent money by phone or message. If the caller can't say it, you hang up and call back on the number you know. Pick something unusual, not a pet's name that appears in your photos. Don't write it in the family group chat: if one account is stolen, the chat goes with it. Tell grandparents and older relatives too, because they receive many of these messages.

You don't need to vanish from the internet to be safe. You may choose to share videos where you speak only with people you know, but the code word and the call back protect you even if your voice is public.

If you already sent money

1. Call your bank or payment app right away, on the number printed on your card or shown in the official app. Say it was a fraud and ask them to try to stop or reverse the transfer. Minutes matter: once the money is moved on, it is much harder to recover.
2. Save the evidence before you block anyone: screenshots of the chat, the phone number, the voice notes, the account the money went to, and the date, time and amount of each transfer.
3. Report it to the police or the official fraud channel in your country. Our guide on where to report a scam lists the official places in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and Chile.
4. If you also shared a code, a password or card details, open Scammed or hacked? What now, choose what happened and follow the steps in order. It also shows where to report by country, and nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
5. Be wary of "recovery" offers. Someone who contacts you promising to get your money back for a fee is usually running a second scam.
6. Don't blame yourself. These scams are built to work on people who care about their family and react fast to help.

Checklist

• A new number asking for money: call the old number first.
• Ask a question that isn't answerable from social media.
• Agree a family code word in person, and don't write it in chats.
• Never send money to a third party's account because of a message.
• Never share a code that arrives by text message.
• Already paid: call your bank now, save the evidence, then report.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone really copy a voice from a few seconds of audio?

Yes, with short samples it is possible, and the result can be convincing in a brief, emotional message. It is usually less convincing in a long, calm conversation full of questions. Don't rely on your ear: rely on calling back and asking something only they know.

How did they know I have children?

Often they didn't. They send the same message to many numbers and wait for someone to answer. When you reply with a name or ask which child it is, you give them the details they were missing.

What if my relative really did change their number?

Then checking costs them nothing. A real son or daughter will wait while you call the old number or will answer your question. Save the new number only after you've confirmed it with them.

Should I report the number to WhatsApp?

Yes. Open the chat, tap the number at the top and choose to report and block it. It helps WhatsApp act against the account, and it stops more messages from reaching you.

Try it

• 1.2Scammed or hacked? What nowSteps for the first hours after a scam or a hack: a bad link, a shared code, a stolen WhatsApp, money sent.
• 1.1Is it a scam?Paste a message or link you received and see its warning signs: brand look-alikes, new domains, short links, scam wording.