Phone call from unknown number late at night. Scam, fraud or phishing with smartphone concept. Prank caller, scammer or stranger. Man answering to incoming call. Hoax person with fake identity. (Phone call from unknown number late at night. Scam, frau
GARDAÍ have again warned about online scams, as the latest fraud involves WhatsApp messages to parents purporting to be from their children.
Crime prevention officer Sergeant Peter McConnon urged people never to click on a link sent by text or email that looks like it’s from a bank or the Revenue. Speaking at last week’s meeting of the Carlow Joint Policing Committee, Sgt McConnon said these institutions never send a link in correspondence.
The meeting was also told that gardaí had seen people lose thousands as a result of clicking on dodgy links.
Sgt McConnon described a new trend involving WhatsApp, which had led to at least one person in the Carlow/Kilkenny division losing money.
“A person is pretending to be a son or daughter, sending a WhatsApp to their mammy saying they have lost their phone and are using someone else’s phone,” he said. “They go on to say they are looking to buy a new phone, but don’t have their bank details. They ask for money to be sent on. People think they are speaking to a son or daughter and hand over money, but it’s going into accounts in the Netherlands,” said Sgt McConnon.
There were 15 reports of fraud in Carlow in the first two months of this year, compared with 37 last…
