ALERT
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau
(GNECB) are warning members of the public of recent fraudulent activity
targeting customers of Irish
banks.
Bank customers are receiving phone calls from persons purporting to be from the
Fraud Department of a major Irish bank.
The fraudsters will have a very well-rehearsed script, and will:
• Inform the customer that there is a problem with his/her bank account, and;
• That the bank has opened a new bank account for them to protect
their funds.
• This will be an account under the control of the fraudsters.
• The fraudsters then provide the customer with the new bank account
and will ask the customer to go to a branch of the bank and to transfer
their money into the ‘new account number that has been opened on their behalf’
• This new account is under the control of the fraudster and any funds lodged to
this account will be stolen!
• Detectives from GNECB are reminding the public that banks will never contact
customers and ask them to transfer money out of their
bank accounts and into another account.
• Banks will also never ask customers for online passwords, PIN numbers for bank
cards or one-time codes frequently sent to customers as a security measure
during online transactions.
If you have been subject to this scam, report it to your local Garda station.