Look out for these common scams which were seen in recent years.
HSE ‘mandatory’ Covid test
The HSE confirmed last year there had been a significant rise in scam texts relating to Covid-19, with people receiving a false notification that they had been a close contact.
They were invited to purchase what they were told were “mandatory” antigen tests by clicking a link. The HSE never asked for a charge or for payment for a Covid-19 test and insisted it never would. It advised never to click a link in an unsolicited text or email purporting to be from the health service if you are suspicious of its origin.
Customs charge scam
Amid Brexit, fraudsters latched on to the customs charges people had to pay for goods being delivered from the UK. These became particularly prevalent around Christmas in 2021 and 2022.
There was a wave of texts purporting to be from An Post, containing fake links through which customers were asked to pay customs charges, but a number of leading couriers also had their names used. An Post said that fraudsters sent out these messages in batches of thousands and it “only takes one person to fall victim to make it worth their while”.
E-flow toll scam
These text messages and emails ask the customer to click a link to pay an outstanding toll fee but it is a scam. The website links in these messages are not genuine and are an attempt to collect personal card and online banking details.
Broadcasters Sarah McInerney and Ciara Kelly spoke about how they were scammed like this in recent weeks.
Bank card taxi scam
Bank customers receive a fraudulent email telling them their details have been compromised and that the bank has arranged for a taxi to collect their card from them as a means of cancelling it.
But in fact this is just a scam artist sending an innocent taxi driver to unsuspecting people’s homes, and then obtaining the bank card.
AIB warned its customers it was seeing this being carried by criminals using its name.
Rental scam
People who are seeking rental accommodation are becoming increasingly desperate during the housing crisis and criminals have targeted their willingness to pay a deposit without physically viewing the property. They offer them the property if they pay the deposit immediately. But the property either does not exist at all, or is not owned by the scammer. This scam tends to be rolled out in the summer and winter as desperate students seek accommodation for next term.
And here’s how to avoid the scams…
- Never give any personal, financial or security information to any person or company online or otherwise, until you have satisfied yourself that they are genuine.
- If you are suspicious of any text or email which purports to be from a company, do not click any links in it, and delete it. If you are unsure about the email or text, then ensure that you have independently verified the identity of the person or company you’re dealing with. If that is not possible, end phone contact immediately or delete emails and texts on devices.
- Be wary if you are asked to transfer money to non-identifiable locations such as PO boxes or through money-transfer companies, rather than bank accounts. This is a red flag and indicates the entity you are dealing with may not be legitimate.
- Always independently verify requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you by the caller or texter. If they purport to be from a company, ring the number available online for that company rather than any number supplied in the suspicious communication.
- Always say no to unsolicited callers or texters seeking private information – that includes your name, address, date of birth, family details, bank account numbers, PIN or password.
(Source – Irish Independent – Life / Irish News – Eoghan Moloney – 07/06/2023)
The rise in financial fraud since 2019
| Incident Type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | % rise since 2019 |
| Accommodation Fraud | 232 | 229 | 276 | 382 | 65 |
| Account Take Over Fraud | 362 | 551 | 3,565 | 2,389 | 560 |
| Card Not Present Fraud | 610 | 545 | 3,778 | 1,548 | 154 |
| Deception/Other | 3,123 | 2,784 | 3,973 | 3,129 | – |
| Investment Fraud | 50 | 141 | 253 | 179 | 258 |
| Phishing/Vishing/Smishing Frauds | 320 | 480 | 2,300 | 1,653 | 417 |
| Romance Fraud | 36 | 44 | 86 | 66 | 83 |
| Shopping/Online Auction Fraud | 414 | 704 | 815 | 694 | 68 |
Source: An Garda Síochána