Twitter user Maia Dunphy was sent a scam text. The message claimed to be from a daughter.
Scammers posed at Maia’s child, in a classic text scam tricking people around the globe.
The message read: “Mum I am texting you on my new phone because my old phone is broken. Could you send me a message on Whatsapp so I can text you from the new phone?”
This is a phishing scam used to lure parents onto Whatsapp, where the scammer will continue to pretend to be the child and will ask for money urgently to replace the phone or because they can’t access their online banking.
The Twitter user decided to have fun with her newfound daughter.
Naming the texter “Scammy”, Maia began to reply to them. She wrote: “Just got your text pet, is everything ok? Mum x”
The scammer replied: “Hi mum. I’m still transferring all the apps to the new phone.”
Maia hilariously responded: “Well you know that Monday is the day I go out nicking jocks off random washing lines, and it a sunny day today so I’m only just home. Is everything okay? X”
Despite this bizarre response, the scammer continued undeterred, asking Maia to delete her old number and save the new one.
The scammer persisted, even when invited to a rather strange BBQ. Maia wrote: “Will you be home at the weekend? Jim brought home that deer he ran over, so we’re going to barbecue it if the weather’s nice.”
The scammer responded: “Yes, I’m coming. I’m a bit frustrated today.”
The scammer asked for a sum of money from Maia, €921 which is just over $1000.
Maia responded: “That’s very specific. Is this for your gas bill? Have you been cremating people’s pets without a licence again?”
The scammer responded: “I’ve ordered a laptop.”
But eventually, the scammer lost interest or realised they would not be able to manipulate Maia.
They accidentally sent a message containing their bank details, with the scammer’s real name linked to them.
Maia used this new name, and the scammer deleted their message with the bank details, but still asked for the message to be sent over to Maia’s suggested name “Scammy Hooer.”
Maia wrote: “Great. I’ll do that and then forward all of your details to the cyber crime unit of our local police station.”
Maia stopped hearing back from “Scammy”. She wrote to her followers: “And just like that, my child blocked me. Oh how quickly they forget.”
Source: Read Full Article