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Have you received a text message on WhatsApp which says ‘Hi Mum’? If you did, IGNORE it. You might be duped of your hard-earned money.
Australians are losing sleep over this dubious message which the authorities claim has led to citizens losing more than $7 million this year. According to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, the number of victims of this family impersonation scam has increased tenfold in the past three months, The Independent reported.
The fraudsters contact victims with messages like ‘Hi Mum’ and pose as family members claiming to be in deep trouble who have lost their phone and are texting from a different number. They ask for help which is financial in nature. The victim sends the money to the receiver who happens to be a fraud.
The Australian competition regulator told the website that $7.2 million was stolen from 11,100 Australians in this year alone. In August, more than 1,100 were scammed as losses amounted to $2.6 million.
As of now, there are no cases of people being duped by this impersonation scam in India. However, it is necessary to be alert against such fraudsters operating on social media and internet.
Do not click suspicious links received on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. It is advisable to keep social media accounts private and not share sensitive information like bank account details, social media passwords and credit/debit card details with mobile numbers you don’t know.
It is advised to access the internet through trusted browsers and not answer calls from unknown or suspicious numbers. If you are using laptop or smartphone, ensure they are updated with latest security features.
According to the Australian competition regulator, most of the complaints were lodged by women above the age of 55. The body urged the people receiving suspicious messages to independently verify the contact.
