A short text message can look friendly and safe.
One message that starts with “Hi dad, I changed provider and I have a new phone number” is now a classic trick in a growing WhatsApp scam.
This article explains how that message works, why it is dangerous, and how families can protect themselves.
Key Takeaways
- Criminals send text or chat messages that pretend to come from a son or daughter who has a “new number”.
- The sender often asks the parent to move the talk to WhatsApp and then asks for urgent money.
- The message in Dutch that starts with “Hoi pap, ik ben overgestapt van provider en heb een nieuw telefoonnummer” is a clear example.
- The safest reaction is to ignore the new number and contact the real child on the old, saved number.
- Banks, police, and fraud help centres advise people to act fast if money has already been sent.
Story & Details
A late-night message
On a cold night in late November, a parent in the Netherlands looked at a phone and saw a new text.
The sender’s number was not saved in the contact list.
At the top of the screen, the phone showed a clear warning: this was a message from an unknown number and people should be careful about fraud.
The text itself sounded warm and close.
In Dutch it said: “Hoi pap, ik ben overgestapt van provider en heb een nieuw telefoonnummer. Kun je mij een whatsappje sturen op [number]? Oude nummer mag weg.”
In simple English this means: “Hi dad, I changed phone company and I have a new phone number. Can you send me a WhatsApp message on this number? You can delete the old number.”
The message tried to look like a normal update from a child.
It used “Hoi pap”, an informal “Hi dad”.
It gave a reason for the change, the move to a new provider.
It told the parent to remove the old number, which would make later checks harder.
A short Dutch lesson that shows the trick
A few words in the text help to see the pattern:
- “Hoi” is “Hi”.
- “Pap” is “dad”.
- “Nieuw telefoonnummer” is “new phone number”.
- “Oude nummer mag weg” is “you may remove the old number”.
On their own, these are simple family words.
In this order, from an unknown number, they are a warning sign.
Dutch police and safety sites describe almost the same text when they explain WhatsApp fraud.
First there is a short message about a new number.
Then the criminal asks the victim to send a message on WhatsApp to that number.
After that, the fake son or daughter says there is an urgent problem, such as a bill that must be paid today.
The parent is asked to send money quickly to a new bank account, often in another name.
When the parent later calls the real child on the old number, the child knows nothing about it.
How this fits into a wider wave of scams
This is not only a Dutch problem.
Police and newspapers in many countries report the same pattern.
In Spain, hundreds of parents have sent large sums of money to criminals who pretended to be their children using a “new number” story.
In the United Kingdom, a “Hi mum” text scam has spread in the same way, with fraudsters posing as sons, daughters, or close friends and asking for rent money or other urgent payments.
The method is simple, and that is why it works so well.
The message uses love and fear, not technology.
A parent sees the word “dad” or “mum” and feels a strong pull to answer.
The story about a broken phone or a changed provider sounds normal.
The criminal counts on panic to stop the parent from checking.
What experts suggest
Police, government websites, and fraud helpdesks all give similar advice.
They say that people should never trust a new number just because it uses family words.
Instead, they suggest a quick check through another route.
Call the old number.
Ask a short question that only the real child would know.
If there is any doubt, stop the chat and do not send money.
Experts also stress that victims should not feel ashamed.
The scams are designed to trick caring people who want to help family.
Banks and police can often help if they are contacted quickly.
Fraud helpdesks collect reports and use them to warn others, so one person’s bad experience can protect many more.
Conclusions
The “Hi dad, I have a new number” text looks small and friendly, but it opens the door to a powerful scam.
It uses simple family language, a believable story about a new phone number, and the speed of WhatsApp to push parents into fast payments.
Clear public warnings, like those now shared by police, fraud experts, and the media, show that many people are learning to pause, to doubt, and to check.
A short moment of calm, a phone call to the old number, or a quick talk with another relative can be enough to break the spell of the fake message.
In a world full of quick chats and changing numbers, the safest habit is also the simplest one: if a message about money comes from a “new” child or friend, always check through the “old” way first.
Selected References
[1] Dutch National Police – Information page on WhatsApp fraud and “friend in need” scams.
https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/whatsapp-fraude-vriend-in-noodfraude.html
[2] Fraudehelpdesk (Netherlands) – Article on getting a WhatsApp message from someone who claims to be a known contact with a new number.
https://www.fraudehelpdesk.nl/fraude/ik-krijg-een-whatsapp-bericht-van-een-bekende/
[3] Veiliginternetten – Explanation of help-request fraud and how to report it.
https://veiliginternetten.nl/wat-whatsappfraude/
[4] The Olive Press – Report on Spanish parents losing money to a WhatsApp scam where criminals posed as children in distress.
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2024/05/01/text-fraud-warning-in-spain-how-hundreds-of-parents-sent-e850000-to-scammers-posing-as-their-children-in-distress/
[5] The Guardian – “Hi mum!” feature on WhatsApp text scams targeting parents and friends.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/may/04/hi-mum-whatsapp-text-scam-parents-friends-bank
[6] YouTube – Dutch police warning video about WhatsApp fraud, explaining how the scam works and how to spot it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8_-uzj7-as
Appendix
Fraud helpdesk
A service, often supported by authorities or consumer groups, where people can report scams, get advice on what to do next, and learn about new fraud tactics.
Friend-in-need scam
A type of fraud in which a criminal pretends to be a friend or family member who urgently needs help, usually asking for money through text or chat apps.
Help-request fraud
Another name for friend-in-need scams, used on some Dutch safety sites, where the fake message is framed as a simple request for help.
New number text
A short message that claims someone has changed phone number or provider and asks the reader to start using this “new” number, often as the first step in a scam.
Phishing
A wider group of tricks where criminals send fake messages that look real in order to steal money, passwords, or other personal data.
Relative-in-distress scam
A form of help-request fraud where the criminal pretends to be a child, parent, or other close relative who is stuck in a crisis and needs quick money.
WhatsApp
A popular messaging app used worldwide to send texts, pictures, voice messages, and calls over the internet.
WhatsApp link
A special web address, often starting with “wa.me”, that opens a chat with a specific number in WhatsApp and is sometimes used in scam messages to move victims into a private chat.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 