SCAM ALERT: Gardai issue warning to grandparents over 'gran-scam' doing the rounds

Gardaí have appealed to grandparents to be aware of a 'gran-scam' that is tempting family members to send emergency money to their elderly relatives.

They say members of the public are receiving random text messages purporting to be from a family member stating that they require financial help or are in some sort of trouble that needs to be kept secret.

"We recently received reports that this scam text is once again circulating. The person sending the text message will pretend to be a family member, son, daughter, sibling, or grandchild who has lost their phone and is making contact with a new phone number.

"They are usually based in a foreign jurisdiction. The fraudulent text will state they require urgent financial assistance, for example, to pay an urgent medical bill or fine.

"The victim of this fraud will then make a direct payment to the fraudster’s account," a spokesperson said.

She added that the gardaí are advising the public to be wary of unsolicited text messages from unknown numbers.
- Do not volunteer information as fraudsters are known to ‘fish’ for facts which they then use to make themselves sound more credible.
- Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
- Verify the person’s identity – ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer; call a family member to verify if someone is operating under a different number even if you have been told to keep the story a secret.
- Do not send cash, gift cards or money transfers – once the fraudster receives the money, it’s gone.
- Trust your instincts.

The fraudster can also make contact via social media platforms using fake profiles, added the spokesperson.

"We have also been made aware that some members of the public have recently received a scam letter. This letter informs the recipient that they have won money or that they are the beneficiary of a will.

"This will, of course, be a life-changing amount of money and in order to claim it, they must now simply provide their banking and personal details. This letter does
often contain the correct name and address of the recipient and that is the worrying part because this then adds credibility to the contents of the letter. We ask your listeners to please make others aware of this type of scam, particularly those who may be vulnerable.

"If you have fallen victim to this scam already, please contact your bank
without delay and also report the matter to gardaí. Should anybody ever receive any correspondence that they are unsure about by post, e-mail, or text message then we advise them to call the garda station for advice," she said.