"Hi Mom, this is my new number" scam
Scammers pretend to be your child or grandchild who lost their phone, then ask for urgent money and tell you not to tell anyone else.
How this scam works
The new-number story explains why the message does not come from the contact you know. Urgency and secrecy keep you from making the one call that would expose the impersonation.
Common versions of the message
- A child with a new number
- A lost or broken phone
- An emergency paid with gift cards or a payment app
What the message looks like
Text from Unknown number
Hi Mom, this is my new number, I lost my phone. I'm in trouble and need $900 urgently. Please don't tell Dad. Can you buy Google Play cards and send me the codes?
Fictional example based on common, publicly reported scam patterns.
The red flags
- 1
New number: “this is my new number”
Call their old number before anything else
A new number removes the strongest proof of identity. Call the old number before continuing the conversation.
- 2
Urgent money: “need $900 urgently”
Panic is the point. Slow down
The urgent amount is meant to turn concern into a fast payment before you verify who is writing.
- 3
Keep it secret: “Please don't tell Dad”
Scammers cut out anyone who could stop them
Asking you to keep the request from another family member cuts off the person most likely to question it.
- 4
Gift cards: “Google Play cards”
No real emergency gets paid in gift cards
Gift-card codes work like cash once they are shared and are not a normal way to solve a family emergency.
What to do
- Call your child or relative on the number you already have.
- Ask a question only they would know.
- Never send gift cards, wire transfers, or payment-app money to a new number.
If you already replied, clicked, or paid
- If you replied, stop the conversation and contact your relative on the number you already have.
- If you sent gift-card codes, contact the card issuer immediately and keep the card and receipt.
- If you sent money through an app or bank, report the transfer through the app and call your bank right away.
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