One day you get a text. The number is not saved in your contact list, but the message is:
"Hey dear Mom, I lost my phone! This is my new number. Can you text me so I have yours?"
As a parent, your parental instinct kicks in. You want to help your child. You reply and just like that, you have fallen for the "Hi Mom" scam. One of most effective and emotional tricks used by scammers.
Welcome to Threat Thursday, where we tell you modern digital dangers. Let's expose that one.
The phone number used in scam generally originates from the country where the victim lives. The HI MOM scam targets vulnerable population groups over the age of 50.
The scammer typically asks the victim to save the number and make contact over a messaging application. The conversation will quickly progress to a request for money or personal information.
The requests almost always constitute a sense of urgency and use emotional manipulation to coerce the victim into acting quickly.
There are a number of ways in which you can protect yourself and loved ones from the HI MOM scam. If you receive a SMS from unknown source, it is important to verify the source.
Avoid engaging with the scammers, he will try to manipulate you. Never send any personal information or money unless you verify the identity first.
Another way to protect yourself from the scam is to ensure you do not mistake that compromise your privacy on social media. Scammers often use information available on social media to create convincing messages that look like a family member.
Limit the personally identifiable information you post on social media is the most effective way to protect yourself from these scams.
Activate two factor authentication of your online accounts to protect your accounts to be compromised by hackers.
Your Thursday Threat Alert: Share this post to your loved ones for awareness. Knowledge is the best defense.
Stay Smart, Stay Secure!