I received a Whatsapp message from an unknown number saying “Hi Dad. This is my new number” then “are you at home?” When I asked who they were the reply was “You’re son” (sic). I replied I don’t have a son and since then no reply. A genuine mistake or the preamble to a scam? Bear in mind I have my face as my profile picture on Whatsapp.

Or you could have a monumental surprise coming!

Scam – they’d have asked for cash eventually.

There’s a very common scam in Japan along those lines but it’s hard to see it catching on in the UK. “Hi mum, it’s me, I’m in trouble with the police and need to pay a fine. Can you transfer some money into this account for me?”

This sort of scam gets reported on R4 due to it catching out older less tech savvy people which occasionally need reminding that it’s a scam.

They gave up, next step is they need some cash as they are in a tight spot.

you could have a monumental surprise coming!

Now we know what the P stands for in Mr P…. 😀

Parent?

saying “Hi Dad. This is my new number”

Wasted opportunity. You should have responded with “great to hear from you son, I’ve been trying to get hold of you, I need to borrow a few quid until the end of the week”.
.

I need to borrow a few quid until the end of the week”.

Certainly Ernie, I don’t do PayPal so just send over your A/C details.

Now I’m hooked…. What happened next?!

I hate this stuff. It will probably catch more people than we wounds imagine :(.   Glad to see how it works though. I’ll need to see if there is a scam reporting number so we can get them closed down when they appear

What happened next?!

Send money to my account in my pm to find out 😄

I got a similar message from the wife’s auntie, apparently. They were banging on about some funding I was entitled to and that they could sort it all out for me. I told them that we were okay as we’d just scooped a six figure sum on the lottery, but that they must keep it to themselves 😀

I’ll need to see if there is a scam reporting number

You should be able to report it in the app. You can also forward it to 7726 (SPAM on an old number key pad, remember them?)

Erm… Well, I recently tried to get hold of an old mate that is really shit at staying in contact.

I’m overseas but I had a number for him so sent a message through WhatsApp. No response. Couple of days later tried again, without saying who I was but using phrases he would definitely know was me.

I get the response “who is this?”
I think he’s being a prick so play along.
Get a “you got the wrong number”
Yeah sure, I think.

Eventually I give up and message his wife who tells me he’s got a new number 😂
(Who even does that)

F knows how someone got his old number but I bet they thought I was a scammer.

(Who even does that)

People with old friends who they are desperately trying to lose touch with.

I hate this stuff. It will probably catch more people than we wounds imagine :(.

A race organiser I used to work with quite a bit had his email hacked and a message went to all his contacts (which included a lot of cycling commissaires, even a few team managers etc). The format was similar – I’m trapped in Cuba, passport and wallet stolen, local police not helping, need to pay for my flight back…

One of the recipients transferred £700 within a few minutes!

He only found out when a few days later in an unrelated phone call when he said “oh great to see you’re safely back from Cuba!” and the organiser was like “WTF are you on about…?”

You can also forward it to 7726 (SPAM on an old number key pad, remember them?)

I thought – and I could well be wrong – that this was specific to O2? Does it work with other carriers too?

People with old friends who they are desperately trying to lose touch with.

😭

this happened to my missus a while ago. Apparently it was her mum. Quite incredible seeing as she has been in the ground for a number of years now.

But same premise, can you pay a bill.

My mum got caught with this… I never thought that she would be so naïve, but she honestly thought that I was in trouble and transferred £2k to a random bank account.

She only checked with me when I apparently asked for another £2k without saying thank you.

Its worth just making sure that any elderly relatives are aware… you don’t think that they would fall for it – until they do.

We now have a code word set up for any financial / sensitive conversations – such a shame.

Flowerpower – sorry to hear about your Mom.

But I don’t think we should judge anyone who falls for these things too harshly. They are sent to 1000’s of people and it works on a very small number of them.

That small number ‘fall-for-it’ simply due to circumstances being just right when they encounter the scam.

It happened to me this summer – not this scam but another type of scam. I thought about it afterwards and I could see that I was vulnerable to just the right sort of scam – and then just the right sort of scam happened and bingo!

I lost over £2k (which I’ve since recovered from the bank thank god!)

I still feel like an idiot but I can see why I did it and why, at the time, it didn’t feel wrong.

I thought – and I could well be wrong – that this was specific to O2?

No, Its all networks

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/problems/tackling-nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-texts

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-deal-with-spam-text-messages-axsG54B0mH0H

I think there is a WhatsApp setting that blocks randoms from contacting you too.