An Irish woman was almost scammed out of €10,000 this week due to a new scam doing the rounds.
There have been reports of new scams appearing on Whatsapp, from people pretending to be family members or loved ones.
Fraudsters impersonate their victims’ loved ones via the messaging platform.
They claim to be in distress and in urgent need of cash in the hope that worried relatives will hand over money without thinking twice.
Read more:HRT shortages in Ireland set to continue – here’s why and what to do if you can’t get yours
In some cases, they have said they need a large sum of money for a sudden bill that will be coming out of their bank or they say their wallet or phone has been stolen.
This can lead to thousands being scammed from people who just want to help their family member or friend.
An Irish Twitter user took to the platform to warn people as her mother was almost caught out.
“My mam was horribly scammed by extremely clever scam artist pr*cks pretending to be me,” she wrote. “She is devo we are on hold trying to get through to Ulster Bank on the phone and online too.
“And if I wasn’t here God only knows what mam would do with trying to get through.”
(Image: Twitter)
She shared a series of images of someone messaging her mum pretending to be her, urging her to sent photos of her credit card so she could pay an urgent bill.
This resulted in attempted charges of over €10,000. Luckily, the bank didn’t approve the transactions and no money was taken.
The Garda Siochana have said they are aware of such a scam doing the rounds.
A spokesperson told RSVP Live: “An Garda Síochána is aware on ongoing ‘scams’ and persistent attempts of fraudulent activity targeting individuals.”
They are advising people to be very wary when it comes to text messages, emails and calls and to be sure that they are talking with who they think they are.
Below is some advice for anyone concerned about this issue.
- Never send money to a third party unless you can trust their bona fides.
- Be wary of unsolicited contacts or where the contact appears to be based in other jurisdictions.
- Be wary when the avenues for contacting the other party are limited.
- Push for direct answers and if responses are vague disengage immediately.
- Never give personal, financial or security information to persons who are unknown to you.
- If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
- Do your research and accept nothing as fact until you have satisfied yourself that it is genuine.
“An Garda Síochána would appeal to any person who has been the victim of fraudulent activity to report this crime at your local Garda Station,” the spokesperson added.
Read more:Wexford woman Jessie Bennett started her own unique business at the age of 25 to end period stigma
Read more:Dublin dad diagnosed with rare condition that causes strokes after suffering with migraines