Five of the biggest financial frauds targeting people in Ireland – and how to avoid them

HSE ‘necessary’ Covid take a look at

The HSE confirmed final yr there had been a major rise in rip-off texts referring to Covid-19, with individuals receiving a false notification that they’d been an in depth contact.

They have been invited to buy what they have been instructed have been “necessary” antigen checks by clicking a hyperlink. The HSE by no means requested for a cost or for fee for a Covid-19 take a look at and insisted it by no means would. It suggested by no means to click on a hyperlink in an unsolicited textual content or electronic mail purporting to be from the well being service in case you are suspicious of its origin.

Customs cost rip-off

Amid Brexit, fraudsters latched on to the customs costs individuals needed to pay for items being delivered from the UK. These turned significantly prevalent round Christmas in 2021 and 2022.

There was a wave of texts purporting to be from An Put up, containing pretend hyperlinks by which prospects have been requested to pay customs costs, however a lot of main couriers additionally had their names used. An Put up stated that fraudsters despatched out these messages in batches of hundreds and it “solely takes one particular person to fall sufferer to make it value their whereas”.

E-flow toll rip-off

These textual content messages and emails ask the client to click on a hyperlink to pay an impressive toll payment however it’s a rip-off. The web site hyperlinks in these messages should not real and are an try to gather private card and on-line banking particulars.

Broadcasters Sarah McInerney and Ciara Kelly spoke about how they have been scammed like this in latest weeks.

Financial institution card taxi rip-off

Financial institution prospects obtain a fraudulent electronic mail telling them their particulars have been compromised and that the financial institution has organized for a taxi to gather their card from them as a way of cancelling it.

However in reality that is only a rip-off artist sending an harmless taxi driver to unsuspecting individuals’s properties, after which acquiring the financial institution card.

AIB warned its prospects it was seeing this being carried by criminals utilizing its identify.

Rental rip-off

People who find themselves searching for rental lodging have gotten more and more determined in the course of the housing disaster and criminals have focused their willingness to pay a deposit with out bodily viewing the property. They provide them the property in the event that they pay the deposit instantly. However the property both doesn’t exist in any respect, or isn’t owned by the scammer. This rip-off tends to be rolled out in the summertime and winter as determined college students search lodging for subsequent time period.

And right here’s methods to keep away from the scams…

By no means give any private, monetary or safety info to any particular person or firm on-line or in any other case, till you’ve happy your self that they’re real.​If you’re suspicious of any textual content or electronic mail which purports to be from an organization, don’t click on any hyperlinks in it, and delete it. If you’re uncertain in regards to the electronic mail or textual content, then guarantee that you’ve got independently verified the identification of the particular person or firm you’re coping with. If that isn’t potential, finish cellphone contact instantly or delete emails and texts on gadgets.Be cautious in case you are requested to switch cash to non-identifiable places resembling PO bins or by money-transfer corporations, fairly than financial institution accounts. It is a purple flag and signifies the entity you’re coping with might not be reputable.At all times independently confirm requests for info and by no means use the contact particulars provided to you by the caller or texter. In the event that they purport to be from an organization, ring the quantity out there on-line for that firm fairly than any quantity provided within the suspicious communication.At all times say no to unsolicited callers or texters searching for non-public info – that features your identify, deal with, date of beginning, household particulars, checking account numbers, PIN or password.