25th June 2026
Around £160,000 has been lost so far this year to so-called "Hi Mum/Dad" scams on WhatsApp, where a scammer impersonates a family member and asks for money, usually to make an urgent payment.
One man received a message from someone pretending to be his son, saying he had lost his phone and wallet while on holiday abroad and asking his Dad to transfer money that day to help him out.
Another scam message read: "Hi Dad, I dropped my phone and had to replace it - this is my new number. Could you send on that £20 I lent you last week?'
In some cases,the message includes a link, supposedly to contact the family member via WhatsApp. The link leads to a malicious site which asks for personal and account details.
How to Avoid
WhatsApp advise that you should STOP, THINK and CALL if you receive an unexpected message asking you to transfer money or purchase gift cards.
Verify that it really is your friend or family member by calling them directly, or asking them to share a voice note. Only consider the request once you are certain that it is from someone you know and trust.
Don't click on links in unexpected messages - if the message says the link leads to a WhatsApp account, open your WhatsApp account to find the person's profile rather than clicking on a link.
Find out More
ScamShare PDF: www.tsscot.co.uk/Spotlight-WhatsApp.pdf
Which? advice: conversation.which.co.uk/scams/whatsapp-impersonation-family-friends-new-number
WhatsApp advice on avoiding scams: faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/about-spam-and-unwanted-messages
Original article: https://www.santander.co.uk/about-santander/media-centre/press-releases/watch-out-dad-santander-issues-scam-warning-ahead-of