Fraudster who fleeced worried parents out of £34,000 in 'hi mum' text scam pretending to be their children weeps as she's spared jail

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:41, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 16:45, 24 June 2026 A 'revolting' fraudster who fleeced worried parents out of tens of thousands of pounds by texting them pretending to be their children has been spared jail.   Beyonce Lazarus, 26, preyed on worried parents by sending them spam messages posing as children who had lost their phones in the so-called 'hi mum' scam.  Lazarus, who worked at a dental surgery, would ask unsuspecting parents for money to pay for a new mobile or to repair an old one, the Inner London Crown Court heard.   Adam Kirk, prosecuting, said Lazarus sent tens of thousands of ‘bulk’ spam messages out in the scam and made £34,252 from the scheme.  However, investigators believe the real figure could be much higher as the conwoman converted the cash into cryptocurrency.  And the total potential loss of the scam is estimated to be more than £9million based on the number of people targeted, the court heard. She admitted to fraud by false representation and conspiring to steal between May 6 2021, and February 14, 2025.  Lazarus, wearing a white shirt, black jacket and miniskirt, covered her face as she sobbed in the dock as she was spared time behind bars.  Detectives from the Dedicated Card and Payment Unit seized Lazarus's devices on February 15, 2025, where they found 'phish kits, bulk scam messages and fraud messages' to parents posing as their children.  Beyonce Lazarus, 26, preyed on worried parents by sending them spam messages posing as children who had lost their phones in the so-called 'hi mum' scam Adam Kirk, prosecuting, said Lazarus sent tens of thousands of ‘bulk’ spam messages out in the scam and made £34,252 from the scheme (Pictured: a picture from Lazarus' socials) However, investigators believe the real figure could be much higher as the conwoman converted the cash into cryptocurrency (Pictured: An example of the scam) ‘She can be seen requesting banking details, shared details of attempted fraud and photographs of her purchases using stolen details,’ Mr Kirk said. There was also evidence that Lazarus was having conversations with people who had received 'hi mum' scam messages, the prosecutor added.  There were also trophy photos boasting of the profit she made relating to the fraud scheme, the court was told.   The card details of 1,363 people were found on Lazarus' laptop, while she also kept a target list of more than 13,000 mobile numbers and 22 sets of names and addresses. Stacks of cash were found in her camera roll, with the caption ‘one day worth of side not bad’. Mr Kirk said: ‘Ms Lazarus conspired with a number of others, including those overseas to harvest and share stolen bank details from unsuspecting victims. ‘She demonstrates a significant understanding, including how data can be used for personal profit,’ he said. ‘There were a large number of victims, at least in some cases targeted on the basis of vulnerability.’ Tanveer Qureshi, defending, said he did not seek to minimize the seriousness of the fraud but that Lazarus feels 'real remorse and real shame'.  Lazarus, of Kenton, Harrow, narrowly escaped jail when she was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for two years. The 26-year-old sobbed as Judge Freya Newbury called her scheme 'revolting', adding: ‘You were deliberately taking advantage of a mother’s anxiety about a child. ‘It’s a really horrible way to exploit dishonestly a mother’s love and trust.’ ‘You are a fundamentally dishonest person and a person with at best hazy moral parameters. ‘Your activities were very greedy and dedicated to taking profit during this activity. ‘You evidently had a sophisticated knowledge of how the different security measures worked and which were slightly weaker. ‘I am going to suspend your sentence because I’ll accept here that you are a reasonable prospect for rehabilitation. ‘I think you need to now concentrate on what your career can be with this conviction behind you which will be very limited.’ Lazarus will now be subject to a curfew between 9pm and 6am for four months. She has also been ordered to pay £500 in costs in the next eight months and a victim surcharge. 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