WARNING: Kildare residents alerted over scammers on WhatsApp impersonating gardaí
An Garda Síochána also advised members of the public to avoid answering calls from suspicious or unknown numbers
An Garda Síochána (AGS) has urged people living in County Kildare to be vigilant following reports of scammers on WhatsApp who have been impersonating gardaí.
The official AGS Kildare page on Facebook shared the warning, which itself was originally posted by the official AGS Wexford page on Facebook.
AGS explained: "Gardaí have become aware of a scam which aims to obtain personal information, such as bank account details, via a WhatsApp call, where the caller is using AGS’s crest as their profile photo.
"AGS will never contact you out of the blue over the phone and request your bank account details.
"If you believe you’ve engaged with such a scam, contact your local garda station."
AGS also issued three specific steps to the public in order to avoid being negatively affected by these scams:
- "Never answer calls from suspicious or unknown numbers"
- "Never disclose personal details over the phone"
- "If you have been the victim of this or any other scam, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and report it to gardaí"