Receiving a one-word 'hi' text from an unrecognized number like this often signals the start of a scam probe, where senders test if the line is active before escalating to more manipulative messages. Your wife's similar experience from another New Zealand number suggests a pattern of low-effort outreach, possibly from bots or fraudsters building contact lists. Stay cautious: never reply, block the number immediately, and enable spam filters on your phone to auto-quarantine such texts. Report it to your carrier or local authorities if it persists—early blocking prevents bigger headaches. If it leads to calls, hang up without engaging.
recieved a one word text - hi. Number not recognised. My wife recently recieved a similar text from a different number also in New Zealand.