‘Distressing case’ of mobile phone fraud leaves Limerick woman at a financial loss

A COUNTY Limerick woman remains at a financial loss after scammers transferred a large sum of money out of her bank account.

Sergeant Michelle O’Halloran, Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street garda station said that for the woman from the west Limerick area this was a “distressing case”.

“A woman in her sixties from the Newcastle West area received what she thought was a legitimate text from her mobile phone provider, clicked on a link, and entered her card details as prompted. Soon after, she got a call from a man claiming to be from her financial institution’s fraud department. He asked for her IBAN and said he’d lock down her account due to suspicious activity,” outlined Sgt O’Halloran.

“By the time she checked her account the next morning, a large sum of money had been transferred out of her account. Thankfully, when she went into her bank, they were able to intercept part of the transactions – but she still remains at a financial loss,” she said.

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“Unfortunately,  we’re continuing to see new frauds pop up week after week. We all need to stop, think, and be vigilant, these scammers can be extremely persuasive, leading to one believing they are genuine,” he said.

“Do not click on links in texts or emails unless you’re sure they’re genuine. Do not call numbers provided in suspicious messages. And never share banking details or move money unless you’ve spoken to your bank directly using verified contact information,” stressed Sgt O’Halloran.

“These scams are becoming more sophisticated, and the more we know, the better we can protect ourselves and each other.”