«Hello mum, this is my new number»

We adults have long had the sobering experience that there is no digital communication without attempts at fraud. Such emails arrive in our inboxes almost daily. Sometimes a billionaire US entrepreneur wants to leave us a considerable inheritance. Another time, an ominous «hacker» claims to be controlling our computer and is now threatening to publish compromising images of our alleged porn consumption.

Even though email communication may hardly play a role for children, clever online criminals can still reach them via other channels such as WhatsApp. In addition to false profit or parcel notifications, a new version of the grandchild trick has also been up to mischief on numerous mobile devices for some time now:

«Hello mum, this is my new number». (Also available with «Hello Dad», recently even in Swiss German.) This is followed by a request to save the number or to reply directly. Why this scam of all things can be a stroke of luck for children will become clear later on in this text. Before that, however, it is important to understand the processes better.

How do the perpetrators get the numbers?

Although we only share our mobile phone numbers with people we know, they still fall into the hands of fraudsters. Time and again, databases from a wide range of companies are hacked and the stolen data sold on. If users find out about this, they should change the passwords of their protected accounts.

Changing a phone number would not be quite so easy and would involve a lot of effort. Many victims themselves also contribute to being inundated with spam and scams - for example, by leaving their number too openly on social networks or public websites.

What are the perpetrators after?

Fraudsters want to extract as much money as possible from their victims. Some write a few innocuous sentences as a supposed child in order to build trust. Others get straight to the point and, with great desperation, feign an emergency that requires an immediate financial transfer from the parents. And who wouldn't want to rescue their own child from an awkward situation - even if the account number belongs to someone else's name and the bank is based abroad?

Even if only a few people fall for it, it is a very lucrative business for the perpetrators. According to the Zurich cantonal police, the general damage caused by telephone fraud totalled over five million francs in 2023. In addition to shock calls, this statistic also includes «Hello Mum» messages.

Seeing through a hoax is a very important experience for children.

Who falls for this scam?

The perpetrators send their «Hello Mum» messages to reach as many people as possible. They often target older people - especially if they are gullible and inexperienced in the digital world. But worried parents whose children no longer live at home or are travelling also fall into the trap. The scammers also rely on the surprise effect, as push messages with vibration and ringtone reach their recipients more directly.

What happens when children receive this message?

In my school workshops, I regularly ask schoolgirls which scams they are familiar with. The «hello mum» trick is always mentioned first. As soon as they tell me about it, they seem surprisingly relaxed, amused and relieved at the same time. When it comes to scams or unpleasant online encounters, on the other hand, they feel very uneasy.

Reminder: For children, the internet and social media are the biggest adventure playgrounds in the world. Many parents don't immediately realise when their children fall for fake gift campaigns, fall into a subscription trap or experience inappropriate attempts at solicitation by adults. Children have a hard time recognising all these situations.

In contrast, the «Hello Mum» tour has a clear learning effect: all children know that they themselves are neither mum nor dad. So the message can't be true. Seeing through the hoax is a very important experience of competence and self-efficacy for them. When else can girls and boys recognise fraudulent intentions in the digital world so clearly and without fear? The knowledge they gain sensitises children to scrutinise dubious online activities more closely in future and to act with more self-confidence.

How can parents utilise this knowledge?

Through appreciation. Let's recognise our children for how clearly they have identified a fraud attempt. But how often do we actually praise children for their behaviour in the online world? The smartphone is an irritating topic in everyday parenting. And yes, it's true: Children overdo it with their use and test our patience time and time again.

But if children constantly fear that they will be scolded and sanctioned instead of helped and understood when they have worries and problems in the online world, they will no longer confide in their parents in really serious situations. Anyone who has experienced a deep dilemma in their own childhood can well imagine what plaguing feelings of guilt and inner conflict can do.

There's no doubt that children need boundaries when it comes to media use, but trust and protection are even more important. As «Hello Mum» is recognisable nonsense for children, it would be a fun and relaxed conversation starter for everyone involved. And with a positive approach and the mantra «Call me if something seems funny», we offer the best prevention.