It usually starts on WhatsApp or a text message, from a number you don't recognise, saying something like "Hi Mum, I dropped my phone in the toilet, this is my new number." A conversation follows, and eventually a request: an urgent bill needs paying, a deposit needs to go through today, can you help just this once.
Why it works so well
This scam doesn't rely on tricking your judgement, it relies on bypassing it. A worried parent moves fast, and fast is exactly what the scammer needs. It also spreads easily between family members, since the same "new number" story can be sent to several relatives at once.
A real emergency can wait five minutes for a phone call. A scam can't survive one.
The one habit that stops it cold
Before sending money or personal details to anyone claiming to be family on a new number, call them back on the number you already have saved. If they don't answer, call another family member to check. A genuine emergency will still be there in five minutes. A scammer relying on urgency usually isn't.
Worth setting up now, not during a crisis
Agreeing on a family codeword, a word only your family would know, is a simple way to verify identity quickly if something like this ever comes up for real. Pick one together while everyone's calm, not in the middle of a stressful message.
This is exactly what AI Safety in Sfinco Personal Cyber Awareness Assistant covers
The same codeword idea also helps against voice-cloning scams, where a call sounds exactly like a family member. See what the Assistant will do.