'Hi Mum, this is my new number': how to spot the scam

Pause the payment. Contact your relative another way.

The answer in 2 lines. An unfamiliar number claims to be your child or another relative with a broken phone. Soon they need help paying an urgent bill. Do not send money or share financial details. Contact the person through the number you already know, or check with another trusted relative. If you have paid, contact your bank immediately using a trusted route, ask it to try to recover the money and request a fraud reimbursement assessment. Preserve the messages and report the fraud through the official reporting service for England.

Your first steps

Pause. Do not transfer money, open a payment link or provide security codes while the sender's identity is uncertain.
Call your relative using the number already saved in your contacts. Start a separate conversation rather than calling through the suspicious message.
If they do not answer, contact another trusted family member. An unanswered call does not make the money request genuine.
For an SMS, follow Ofcom's reporting instructions: forward it to 7726. For an app message, use that app's report and block options.

Stop: danger

Already paid? Stop further payments and contact your bank immediately through its official app or a number on your card or statement.
A follow-up offer to recover the money: do not pay an advance fee or share banking codes. Verify any contact independently.

Recognise the pattern

The sender claims their phone is broken, lost or unavailable. They ask you to save a replacement number, then introduce an urgent expense. Their banking access supposedly does not work, so you must pay a bill or transfer money to someone else's account.

Pressure and excuses make independent checks feel inconvenient. The Nottinghamshire Police fraud-prevention booklet describes this as a 'friend in need' scam. Find that section for the warning signs and the advice to call the person's established number.

Verify without helping the impersonator

Do not supply the name they have left out by replying, 'Is that you, Ellie?' Use an independent contact route instead. A familiar name, photograph or accurate personal detail does not prove who controls the account.

A private family question may add a check, but avoid relying on information visible online. A voice or video call alone is not an absolute guarantee either. Read Ofcom's protection guidance and use its stop, check and report approach before responding to pressure.

What not to do

Making a small test payment to see whether the request is genuine.
Replacing your relative's saved number before independently confirming the change.
Sending a card photograph, password or one-time banking code.
Assuming that a UK account or a successful account-name check proves the story is true.

If money has already left your account

Tell the bank you were deceived into making a payment. Ask it to attempt recovery, secure your account if details were shared, and assess reimbursement under the rules applicable to the transaction. Keep screenshots, the sender's number, recipient details and payment confirmation.

The Payment Systems Regulator's APP scam guidance explains protection for qualifying UK transfers. Use its consumer information to discuss your claim with the bank. Coverage depends on the payment and circumstances; recovery and reimbursement are not guaranteed for every case.

Report the fraud and challenge an unsatisfactory response

For England, use the current Report Fraud guidance. Select its reporting route and provide the message history, payment information and explanation of what happened. You can also call 0300 123 2040. Reporting does not replace notifying your bank.

If you disagree with the bank's decision, complain to it first. Then follow the Financial Ombudsman Service's scam-complaint guidance to check when you can bring the complaint and what evidence to submit. Its service is free for consumers.

Good to know

Forwarding an SMS to 7726 alerts the mobile provider; it is separate from reporting a financial loss.
Save evidence before deleting a conversation. App messages cannot usually be forwarded to the SMS reporting service.
This reporting route is for England. If you are elsewhere in the UK, check the official local police reporting instructions.

Illustrative example: in Manchester, Helen receives a message saying her daughter needs an urgent bill paid from a new number. Helen leaves the conversation and calls the number already stored for her daughter, who knows nothing about it. Helen saves a screenshot, forwards the suspicious SMS to 7726 and blocks the sender.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 5 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for independent verification, SMS reporting and contacting the bank immediately; medium for an individual reimbursement outcome, which depends on the payment and applicable rules. The current reporting service is Report Fraud; older police material may refer to Action Fraud.