Gardaí have warned against a scam that has arrived to Ireland known as ‘vishing’. People are being warned not to give out any personal information over the phone. A number of people have been scammed out of thousands of euros in phone calls from people claiming to be security managers at a well-known retail store.
The caller contacts people and tells them that their credit or debit card has been fraudulently used at the store. They then ask for the person’s financial information. If the request for details is denied, the person is then advised to contact their bank or gardaí, with a phone number being provided by the caller.
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The unsuspecting victim then hangs up and in some cases will call the gardaí or bank on the same landline. The fraudsters on the other end of the line will then stay on the phone with an accomplice impersonating the gardaí, convincing people to hand over their details.
Over 30 people have contacted a well-known retailer complaining that someone has posed as a member of their staff.
The scheme is known as ‘vishing’, or ‘voice phishing’ and has resulted in a number of people being scammed. Gardaí have reported that a number of people have given over their bank details, having money taken out of their accounts.
Detective Superintendent Gerard Walsh urged people to listen for a dial tone before making another call and to treat any unsolicited calls with scepticism.
He said the scam has worked on a number of occasions, with one individual losing €38,000.
