Parents targeted by AI-powered ‘Hi Dad’ scam ahead of Father’s Day

The con typically begins with a text message or even an AI-generated phone call from someone pretending to be a son or daughter in urgent need of money.

Knowing how this scam works could help you to avoid it.

Scammer using smartphone and fake messages as thousands are lost to Hi Dad and Hi Mum scams (Image: Getty Images)

There are two main stages to the “Hi Dad (or often “Hi Mum/Gran/Grandad” scam:

1. Asking you to save a new number – this is the first stage of the scam. The victim is asked to save a new number for their child and delete the old one.
2. Asking to borrow or to be sent money – this is always to a third party, not their usual bank account. There will often be an emergency that needs an instant loan or gift or money to solve.

Criminals are exploiting busy parents who may act quickly without verifying who they are speaking to, with victims handing over thousands of pounds after believing they were helping their child.

The bank’s latest figures also reveal that men lost the equivalent of £100,000 every day to scammers during the first half of the year, with investment and purchase fraud among the biggest causes of losses.

Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud Risk Management at Santander UK, warned that fraudsters deliberately target people when they are distracted or under pressure.

He said: “Whether it’s an investment opportunity that sounds too good to be true, or a text or phone call out of the blue from your child asking for money, we are urging people to stay alert and stay safe ahead of this Father’s Day.”

Recommended reading:

Hannah Bingle, Financial Crime Awareness Specialist at Yorkshire Building Society, adds: “Scams where the sender pretends to be a loved one can be really unsettling.

“If you receive a message claiming to be someone you know using a new number, don’t take it at face value. Try to call them on their existing number – you can quickly find out if the real person knows about the messages.

“If you’re still not sure, you can ask something the genuine person would know but a scammer couldn’t guess. Something simple like where you last met, the name of a pet or someone you both know.

“Don’t be rushed into sending anything. A real family member or friend wouldn’t mind you checking their details before handing over your money or information.”