NoScams
"Hi Mom" texts from a new number
Updated October 23, 2026
The text people are getting
Hi mom, text me here on my work phone. Dropped my actual phone in the sink earlier and it's completely unresponsive now.
As reported by Fox News (CyberGuy Report), July 2026.
How the scam works
- A text from an unknown number says it's your child. The phone broke, got lost, or "fell in the sink," so they're texting from someone else's phone or a new number.
- You're asked to move the chat. The example above asks the parent to text a different unknown number.
- Then comes the emergency. A bill that's due today, a deposit, a fine, or a phone they need to replace, and they need money now. The FTC says family emergency scams "try to scare people into sending money to help a loved one in trouble."
- The money goes somewhere it can't come back from. Nebraska's attorney general says these scammers ask for cash, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or payment apps.
How to tell if it's really your child
- Call the number you already have. The FTC's advice is to reach your loved one "using a number you know is right, not one the caller gives you."
- Ask something only they would know, and that isn't on social media.
- Slow down. The pressure to act right away is part of the scam.
- Never send money, gift cards, crypto, or verification codes because of a text from a new number, however real the story sounds.
If you already replied or paid
- Only replied? Stop texting the number, call your child at their real number, and report the text.
- Sent money? Contact your bank or payment app right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped.
- Shared a code? Follow what to do if you gave a scammer a verification code.
Report it
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block the sender. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Questions
My child really might have a new phone. How do I check?
Call them at the number you already have saved, or ask someone who's with them. You can also ask the sender something only your child would know that isn't on social media.
They asked me to text a different number. Is that a sign?
Yes. In the example above, the message came from an unknown number and asked the parent to text yet another unknown number. Moving you to a new number keeps the conversation away from the real person's phone.
I already sent money. What now?
Contact your bank or the payment app right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you shared a code, follow what to do if you gave a scammer a verification code.