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‘Hi Mom’ Text Scam Prompts Money Requests, 276 Arrests

7/6/2026

32 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Scammers send a “Hi Mom” text claiming a phone was dropped and request a reply to a second unknown number.
After a parent replies, the scammer asks for money through Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift cards, crypto, or a code.
Experts advise pausing, calling the family member on a line, never sending money or codes, and reporting the message.
A recent global crackdown on such scams resulted in 276 arrests.

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Story summary

Scammers send a “Hi Mom” text claiming a phone was dropped and request a reply to a second unknown number.
After a parent replies, the scammer asks for money through Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift cards, crypto, or a code.
Experts advise pausing, calling the family member on a line, never sending money or codes, and reporting the message.
A recent global crackdown on such scams resulted in 276 arrests.