I got one of these messages last week. "Hi mum, I've lost my phone." My heart actually skipped a beat before I remembered my 14-year-old was literally in the next room playing Fortnite and screaming at his friends through his headset. Nice try, random scammer from who-knows-where.

But not everyone catches on so quickly.

The scam that's making fraudsters rich off parental worry

There's a particularly nasty WhatsApp scam making the rounds, and it's specifically targeting parents. The approach is deceptively simple: scammers message you pretending to be your child, starting with "hi mum" or "hi dad" (notice teh missing punctuation - that should be your first clue).

They claim they've lost their phone, can't access their bank account, and—surprise, surprise—desperately need money for rent or some other emergency. It's manipulative as hell because it plays directly on a parent's instinct to protect their kids.

When panic overrides common sense

These fraudsters are betting on your emotional response overriding your rational thinking. And it's working.

According to Action Fraud, these scams cost UK victims a staggering £226,744 between 2023 and 2025. Santander's data shows scammers have the most success when impersonating sons, followed by daughters and then mothers.

God. I can't imagine how awful it must feel to realize you've been duped after transferring money to what you thought was your desperate child.

The AI nightmare has entered the chat

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse...

Chris Ainsley, who heads up fraud risk management at Santander, warns that these scams are becoming even more convincing thanks to artificial intelligence. "We're hearing of instances where AI voice impersonation technology is being used to create WhatsApp and SMS voice notes, making the scam seem ever more realistic," he told The Independent.

His advice? "If you're ever asked for money out of the blue on any social or communication platform, verify the request by picking up the phone."

Seriously, just call your actual kid on their actual number. It takes 30 seconds and could save you thousands.

How these lowlifes operate

The technical term for this is "smishing" (SMS + phishing), and it follows a pretty predictable pattern:

First comes the friendly opener pretending to be someone you love. If you ignore them, they'll keep messaging, using vague details that could apply to anyone. Then comes the urgent plea for cash because they "can't access their bank account" and need you to transfer money to some random account you've never seen before.

Back in 2022, my colleague Jane fell for this. Sent £350 to someone she thought was her daughter who was "stranded after losing her wallet." Her actual daughter was at home watching Netflix. Poor Jane.

Protect yourself (and your wallet)

If you get one of these messages, try these steps:

Contact your actual loved one using their real number. Ask them a question only they would know the answer to (my family has a weird inside joke about a purple flamingo that would stump any scammer). Or establish a code word in advance that you can ask for if something seems fishy.

Already sent money? Call your bank IMMEDIATELY to try stopping the payment.

WhatsApp's other news: Goodbye, ancient iPhones

In somewhat related news, WhatsApp has officially stopped working on three older iPhone models as of Monday. If you're using an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus, you're now locked out of sending or receiving messages.

These phones are all over 10 years old, so most people won't be affected. WhatsApp claims this is about security and functionality, saying: "Devices and software change often, so we regularly review what operating systems we support and make updates."

Translation: "Your phone is ancient, please upgrade so we can keep tracking you properly." (I'm only half-joking.)

Stay vigilant out there, folks. And maybe give your actual kids a call today—just to hear their real voice.