Is that really your son or daughter texting you? How to spot a WhatsApp family impersonation scam

How does the WhatsApp family impersonation scam work?

It usually starts with a message arriving out of the blue on WhatsApp from a number you do not recognise. The person claims to be a family member — most often a son, daughter, or grandchild — and explains that they have a new number because their old phone was lost, broken, or stolen.

Once you reply, the conversation quickly turns to an urgent request for money. The story might be that they need to pay an overdue bill, have had their wallet stolen, or are stuck somewhere and need cash to get home. There is always a reason why they cannot simply go to a bank themselves, and there is always pressure to act quickly before you have time to think it through.

They may send follow-up messages if you do not respond straight away, each one increasing the sense of panic. Once money is transferred — usually via bank transfer — it is extremely difficult to recover.

Why are these messages so convincing?

Scammers are skilled at creating a sense of familiarity and urgency. A message that reads “Hi Mum, it’s me, I’ve broken my phone, please save this number” sounds completely plausible — especially if you know your loved ones do occasionally lose or damage their devices.

The messages are also deliberately vague enough to fit almost any family. You might assume it is your son because you have a son, even though the scammer sent the same message to thousands of people that day. Fraudsters count on the fact that love for family overrides caution — and it often works.

WhatsApp scam activity rose 32 per cent in 2025, and UK Finance reported that criminals stole £629.3 million in the first half of 2025 alone. These are not rare, opportunistic crimes — they are organised, large-scale operations.

What are the warning signs to look out for?

Keep these red flags in mind whenever you receive an unexpected message from an unknown number:

• New number, urgent problem. Real family members who get a new number do not usually lead with a request for money.
• Pressure to act quickly. Scammers want you to act before you stop and think. A genuine family member will understand if you need five minutes to verify who they are.
• Reasons you cannot call them back. If the person says their phone can only receive WhatsApp messages but not calls, that is a major warning sign.
• Requests for bank transfers. Scammers prefer bank transfers because they are fast and hard to reverse. They may also ask for gift cards or payment apps.
• Vague personal details. If the person cannot answer a simple, specific question that only your real family member would know, trust your instincts.

How can you protect yourself before a scam attempt happens?

The most effective thing you can do right now — before any message arrives — is to set up a family safe word. This is a word or short phrase known only to you and your close family, which anyone can ask for if they ever contact you from an unknown number in an emergency. A scammer will not know it. Your real son or daughter will.

There are a few other steps worth taking today:

• Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp. Go to Settings → Account → Two-step verification and set a six-digit PIN. This makes it much harder for scammers to take over a real account in your contacts.
• Talk to your family about this scam. Make sure your children and grandchildren know you will always call before sending money, whatever the message says.
• Save your family members’ numbers carefully. That way, if someone messages you from a number not in your contacts claiming to be a relative, you will notice immediately.
• Never share WhatsApp verification codes. If someone you do not know asks for a six-digit code “accidentally” sent to your phone, do not pass it on under any circumstances — this is how accounts are hijacked.

What should you do if you receive one of these messages?

If you get a message from an unknown number claiming to be a family member, here is exactly what to do:

1. Do not reply yet. Close the conversation and go to your contacts.
2. Call or text your family member on their real, saved number. If they answer or reply normally, you have your answer — it was a scam.
3. If you cannot reach them, ask a family safe word question before doing anything else.
4. Report the message. Press and hold the message in WhatsApp, tap Report, then follow the instructions. You can also report it to the UK’s fraud service at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. (Note: Action Fraud was replaced by this new Report Fraud service in December 2025.)
5. If you have already sent money, call your bank immediately. Ask them to try to recall the payment. The sooner you call, the better the chance of recovery.

What is WhatsApp doing to tackle these scams?

WhatsApp removed 6.8 million scam accounts in 2025, and the platform has introduced new features to flag messages from unknown numbers. When you receive a message from someone not in your contacts, WhatsApp now shows a warning banner and a button to block or report the sender before you even reply.

These tools help, but they are not foolproof. Scammers create new accounts quickly, and the messages are designed to look personal enough that warning banners are easy to dismiss when you are worried about a family member. Your best protection is always the pause-and-verify habit: stop, check, then decide.