I got a text from a family member's “new number” asking for money — is it a scam?
Yes — this is the “Hi Mum / new phone” scam. A scammer texts from an unknown number claiming to be your child or a close relative (“I lost my phone, this is my new number”), spins a quick story, then asks you to cover an urgent bill they “can't pay because their banking app is locked.” The tell never changes: a new number plus a request for money. Verify by calling your family member's old number, or ask something only the real person would know — and never send money to a number you haven't confirmed.
Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.
From the research desk — this pattern is one of those documented in This Week's Scam Wave, in Numbers — August 2, 2026 →