‘Dad, I got a new phone number’ scam circulating in Ontario

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A new day brings a new scam that affects residents not just in Mississauga and Brampton, but throughout Ontario.

This time, scammers are targeting parents and tricking them into thinking their child has changed their phone number and needs to reconnect with them.

looks like this ‘Mother Help’ And ‘I dropped my phone in the toilet’‘ scams. This latest scheme, from 2023, starts with a similar message.

The message reads: Hello dad. I have a new phone number. Please save and message me on Whatsapp.

A message like this can cause parents to panic, become confused, and curious enough to make a hasty decision and call the new number.

However, an alternative idea is to stay calm and look for signs that you may be the victim of a scam.

In this case, the fact that the new number provided by the “kid” in the text has the 437 area code for the Toronto, Ontario area makes the scam more believable.

In the past, Peel Regional Police have advised people not to respond to these messages and to delete them; because any response could alert scammers that your number is active and lead to more spam messages. Police also suggested blocking the number to avoid future contact.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which tracks major scams and frauds across the country, urges residents to never share personal or financial information with unverified individuals or groups. This includes unknown numbers claiming to be family members.

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