Gardai are warning the public to be very aware of a new text scam known as the 'grandparent scam'.
The warning is an urgent one in the run up to Christmas, and sees members of the public receive a random text message purporting to be from a family member stating that they require financial help or are in some sort of trouble which needs to be kept secret.
It comes at the end of a long year for Gardai in their attempts to tackle fraudsters, with 2021 seeing a massive increase in the number of fake texts, calls and email links.
The new 'grandparent scam' has a number of key things to look out for.
Gardaí say that the person sending the text message will pretend to be:
- A family member (son/ daughter/ sibling/ grandchild) who has lost their phone and is making contact on a new phone number.
- They are usually based in a foreign jurisdiction.
- The fraudulent text will state they require urgent financial assistance, for example to pay an urgent medical bill or fine.
- The victim of this fraud will then make a direct payment to the fraudster’s account.
A spokesperson said: "An Garda Síochána are advising the public to be wary of unsolicited text messages from unknown numbers.
- Do not volunteer information as fraudsters are known to ‘fish’ for facts which they then use to make themselves sound more credible.
- Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is.
- Verify the person’s identity – ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer; call a family member to verify if someone is operating under a different number even if you have been told to keep the story a secret.
- Do not send cash, gift cards or money transfers – once the fraudster receives the money, it’s gone.
- Trust your instincts.
The fraudster can also be made via social media platforms using fake profiles.
