NORTH Wales residents are being warned of scammers pretending to be people's sons or daughters in order to try and get money from them.

Police say that scammers are mainly targeting people through Whatsapp.

According to officers, a number of people across the region are reporting that they are receiving a message reading; "Dad I've changed my mobile number today".

This is then followed by "I'm locked out of bank account due to the new number, could you help by paying an invoice for me and I'll pay you back tomorrow when I've sorted the number out with the bank. Here are the payment details XXXXXX"

Similar messages claim that the son or daughter has dropped their phone down the toilet and are therefore using a different phone. They then ask to borrow money for a few days to pay the mortgage and promise to pay it back.

Most of these messages are sent via WhatsApp and victims are sending substantial sums of money to the fraudsters.

North Wales Police has issued the following advice to try and help residents spot a scammer:

  • Be wary of any text or email received out of the blue, even if it appears to come from a genuine source or a family member.
  • Always verify ANY request made for money to be sure it is genuine. Don’t give out personal details over the phone, online or by text.
  • Never click on links or attachments in emails or texts unless you are certain that they are from someone that you can trust.

Scam text messages should be forwarded to 7726 (spells SPAM on phone keypad) and scam emails should be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk