Avoiding 'Hi Mom' Text Scams: Signs to Look For & Things You Can Do

The "Hi Mom" text scam (also known as the "Hi Dad" scam) is just among the smishing campaigns you need to avoid.

Unlike other cyberattacks, which rely on advanced malware and other malicious software, smishing only needs to send SMS messages to its victims.

Cybersecurity experts claim that the Hi Mom SMS scam has been active lately. They added that this malicious campaign already stole millions of dollars from the public.

How to Avoid 'Hi Mom' Text Scam?

According to MakeUseOf's latest report, the Hi Mom text scam begins with an SMS message.

Malicious actors will impersonate their victims' family members. They will present a realistic scenario that can easily fool their victims; commonly women over the age of 50.

After contacting their victims, they will ask them to save their numbers and continue their conversations via WhatsApp.

Once they get your trust, they will for money in the form of gift cards or money transfers.

One of the most common scenarios of the Hi Mom SMS scam is asking victims for verification codes. This is because hackers are trying to access the bank accounts of their parents or relatives.

Avoiding the Hi Mom scam is quite simple:

• Avoid sending personal information, such as verification codes, bank details, etc.
• Try calling the number or ask other relatives close to the one contacting you to verify their situation.

How to Block Spam Texts

If you want to protect yourself from any theft, then the best thing you can do is consider all spam text as scams.

You can block these spam texts by following the steps provided by Reader's Digest:

Blocking Spam Texts on Android

1. First, open a text message of the unknown number.
2. After that, click the three-dot button, which is located in the upper-right corner of your screen.
3. Then, click the Details button. After that, you can tap on the "Block and Report Spam" option.

Blocking Spam Texts on iOS

1. First, open the text message sent by the unknown number.
2. After that, click the arrow beside the contact number, which is located at the top part of your screen.
3. Then, click the Info button and choose the "Block This Caller" option.

Here are other stories we recently wrote about cybersecurity:

A Sydney couple warned about an email scam, which stole over $100,000 from them. Security researchers claimed that Eurovision fans' hotel bookings were targeted by phishing scams.

For more news updates about scams and other malicious campaigns, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.