Family impersonation scams

What you can do

Fraudsters are sending texts pretending to be from a family member with a lost or damaged phone, in need of money. These texts usually follow a similar format each time, opening with “Hi Mum/Hi Dad, this is my temporary/new number…” and followed by a request for help to pay for something urgently.

 

  • They have a temporary/new phone number.
  • That help is urgently needed to pay for something.
  • Payment must be made to a specific bank account OR asking for a card number, then setting it up on a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay (and asking you for the security code the bank has just sent)