Warning over ‘Hi Dad’ impersonation scams ahead of Father’s Day

Some £160,000 has been reported stolen because of “Hi Dad” impersonation scams so far this year, according to data from a major bank.

Santander UK is warning parents to be aware of the fraud ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday June 21.

Fraudsters will target potential victims via messages or an AI-generated phone call, pretending to be their child requesting money or to make a payment.

Santander’s quarterly “scamtracker”, which charts volumes, values and trends in authorised push payment (APP) scams where people are tricked into sending money to criminals, found that men handed over the equivalent of £100,000 to scammers every day during the first six months of the year, with the biggest hitters by value being investment and purchase scams.

Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander UK, said: “As a parent myself, I know how busy life gets – juggling kids, work and a social life – and fraudsters often target people when they know they might not have time to properly consider what they’re being asked to do.

“Whether it’s an investment opportunity that sounds too good to be true, or a text or phone call out of the blue from your child asking for money, we are urging people to stay alert and stay safe ahead of this Father’s Day.”