Limerick woman loses major amount of money following phone call scam
In a separate Limerick incident, a man, aged in his 70s, reported receiving, what appeared to be, a delivery notification containing a link.
A WOMAN in Limerick has lost a substantial amount of money after falling victim to a fraudulent phone call.
In this case, An Garda Siochana, based in the county, said the injured party received this communication from a person claiming to work for a financial institution.
The call came from an Irish telephone number.
From here, the caller in question told the victim that there was a suspicious transaction on her account which needed to be blocked.
The woman was then asked for information from her bank card.
Initially, the victim was asked to confirm the last eight digits of her card, followed by the first eight digits and, subsequently, both her CVV and expiry date.
Unfortunately, the information was provided and a substantial sum of money was taken from the woman’s account.
Commenting on the incident, Sergeant Michelle O’Halloran, Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street garda station, said: “This is a particularly concerning type of scam because the caller presents themselves as someone who is trying to protect your money, when in reality they are attempting to gain access to it.”
She said the most important message people should take away from this is that a bank would never ask you to disclose your PIN, full card details, passwords or one-time security codes over the phone.
Sgt O’Halloran continued: “Never assume a call is genuine simply because it appears to come from an Irish telephone number or because the caller knows some of your personal details.
“If you receive a call about a suspicious transaction, hang up. Contact your bank using the telephone number on the back of your bank card or through its official website or app. Do not use a number provided by the caller.”
The Crime Prevention Officer urged people to never transfer money to another account just because someone tells you it is necessary to protect your funds.
Giving advice, she stated: “I would also encourage people to speak to a trusted family member or friend before making any financial decisions if they feel uncertain or under pressure.
“If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately, ask them to secure your account and investigate whether the transaction can be recalled. You should also report the matter to gardai and change any compromised passwords or PINs.”
Meanwhile in a separate Limerick incident, a man, aged in his 70s, reported receiving, what appeared to be, a delivery notification containing a link.
Following this, he clicked on the link, entering his bank card details.
The man’s card was then subsequently cloned and an attempt was made to withdraw money from his account.
Thankfully, the bank intervened and prevented this withdrawal so no money was lost in this case.
Sgt O'Halloran said that people should be extremely cautious when receiving unexpected text messages,particularly those containing links.
“My advice is:
- Never click on links in unexpected text messages
- If you are expecting a delivery, check its progress directly through the company’s official website or app
- Never enter your bank card details or personal information through a link received by text
- Be cautious of messages asking you to pay a small delivery fee or provide additional information
- Never download an app at the request of an unexpected caller or text message, as this could allow fraudsters to gain access to your device
“If you receive a suspicious message, do not engage with it. Delete it and, if you have any concerns, contact the company directly using contact details you have sourced independently,” the Crime Prevention Officer concluded.