A Tipperary Sergeant says there has been a “marked increase” in fraud related calls logged with Gardaí in the last four to six weeks.
Sergeant-in-Charge at Nenagh Garda Station, Declan O’Carroll, is warning people not to click on links in unsolicited texts, and not to give away personal information.
A total of more than €50,000 was taken from three Tipperary bank accounts recently due to links being clicked on in text messages.
Sergeant O’Carroll says that such activity seems to be rising:
“There’s been a marked increase in the last 4-6 weeks in relation to all types of fraudulent activity. Cold calls, suspects ringing people looking for information like PPS numbers etc.
“So Gardaí would advise people not to respond, hang up the phone. Always stop and think before clicking on a link. If an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
“Never click on a link of an unsolicited text, never give away personal data like PIN numbers, card numbers, passwords or one time codes. Banks will never request a customer to return a card to a bank in those circumstances.
“And be wary of cold calls. Just because the number looks Irish doesn’t mean it is. These days fraudsters are able to clone numbers.”
