A fake WhatsApp account is using your name and photo. Here is what to do.

1. How the "new number" scam works

The script barely changes. UK banks and police call it the "Hi Mum" scam; the FTC files it under family emergency scams.

1. A first message arrives by text or directly on WhatsApp from an unknown number: phone broken, lost or stolen, "this is my new number."
2. On WhatsApp, the account shows your profile photo and your name, copied from your account or social media. That is what makes it believable.
3. After some small talk comes the ask: a bill that "has to be paid today," a transfer the "banking app won't let me do on the new phone," sometimes gift cards.
4. A newer twist: a voice note that sounds like you (see section 7).

Scammers often message random numbers. But when your real photo reaches your real family, your details were collected somewhere: a public friends list, a visible phone number, or a contact whose address book leaked.

2. Warn your contacts first

This prevents more losses than anything else, even before the account is shut down.

1. Send a short message from your real number to family and friends, older relatives first, and post it as a WhatsApp status and on social media: "Warning: a fake WhatsApp account is using my photo and name from +X XXX. It is not me. Don't reply, never send money or codes, and report that number in WhatsApp."
2. Set one rule: any money request by message gets checked by calling the old number, the one they already have.
3. Agree on a family code word to ask for when in doubt, especially if your voice is online (videos, podcasts).
4. Collect screenshots from people who were contacted: full number, profile photo, messages, dates. Keep them with a list of who was targeted.

3. Get the number banned: reporting on WhatsApp

The most useful reports come from the people who received the messages, because WhatsApp reviews the reported conversation.

1. Message from an unknown number: WhatsApp shows options at the top of the chat to block or report. Ask your contacts to tap Report, then block.
2. Existing chat: open it, tap the name or number at the top, scroll down and tap Report. According to WhatsApp's own explanation, it then receives the most recent messages that number sent to the person reporting, plus information about the account.
3. More reports help: one can be enough, but several reports from different people about the same number make the pattern obvious.
4. On your side, contact WhatsApp support from the Help section of the app's settings, with the fake number, your screenshots and one clear sentence: "This account uses my photo and name to ask my contacts for money."
5. Do not message the fake number to confront it: it only confirms your number is active.

WhatsApp alone decides on a ban and does not send updates. Numbers can go down quickly, but scammers switch them often, so warning people remains your real protection.

If the messages come from your own number, this is not a fake account: your WhatsApp account was taken over, usually after someone got your verification code. Reinstall WhatsApp, register your number again with the code sent by text, then turn on two-step verification. Our online impersonation guide explains the difference between a hacked account and a fake one.

4. Limit what scammers can copy

1. Profile photo: in WhatsApp, Settings > Privacy > Profile photo, choose "My contacts" (or exclude some contacts). Do the same for "About" and "Last seen."
2. Two-step verification: Settings > Account > Two-step verification. It protects your real account against takeover.
3. Never share the 6-digit code WhatsApp texts you, even with "a friend" who says it was sent to you by mistake.
4. Your social media: the photo often comes from Instagram or Facebook, and a public friends list shows who to target. If a fake account imitates you there too, see our guides to a fake Instagram account and a fake Facebook account.

5. Report the scam

United States

1. Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your contacts who were targeted can report too.
2. Report to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, especially if money was lost. Only use the real address: the FBI has warned about fake IC3 sites.
3. File a police report if your bank or a contact who paid needs one.

United Kingdom

1. Forward the first text, if there was one, to 7726 for free.
2. Report to Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

6. If someone already paid

1. Call the bank immediately. The faster the call, the better the chance of stopping or recalling the payment. In the UK, 159 connects to most major banks. For a payment app or gift cards, contact that company too.
2. Keep every message, the number and the payment references. Delete nothing.
3. Report it (section 5) and give the reference to the bank.
4. Beware of "recovery" services that promise the money back for a fee: that is a second scam.

7. A voice note that sounds like you

Some scammers add a voice note to remove doubt. McAfee researchers found that 3 seconds of audio can be enough for an 85% voice match, so one public video may be all they need. Tell your family that a voice note "from you" proves nothing; only a call to your usual number counts. If your cloned voice also appears in videos or posts, see our AI voice clone guide.

8. What the law says

WhatsApp's terms ban impersonation and fraud, which is why reports can get a number banned without going to court. Using someone's identity to get money is fraud almost everywhere. In the US, several states (including California and Texas) also have online impersonation laws; in the UK, depending on the facts, it may be fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006. This page is general information, not legal advice: for your own case, talk to a lawyer.