Drunk men are increasingly being targeted by thieves in Dublin.
The number of men being preyed on while making their way home at night has seen an increase, gardai say.
Warning others of the danger, gardai said: "The thief, through befriending the injured party, or other forms of deception obtains the injured parties mobile phone and also the PIN number for the device. On occasions the injured party is approached by a ‘good citizen’ or may have gotten into a vehicle on the belief that it is a taxi or that the ‘stranger’ or ‘good citizen’ is offering them a lift.
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Once the thief, through deception, has identified the PIN number and stolen the mobile phone they then have access to the phone. This allows them to transfer money from a victim’s bank account to a Revolut account belonging to the criminal. This allows them to withdraw the money at ATMs.
"Mobile phones, through modern apps and online banking, are an electronic wallet carrying details of bank accounts and bank cards. An Garda Síochána advises people to ensure passwords and codes for Apple Pay, Revolut, etc, are all different and completely different to the PIN to access the mobile device."
The warning comes as gardaí urge people to stay safe and vigilant over the Christmas period while enjoying the festivities.
With more people flooding into the city centre, “the opportunities for criminals and the risk of personal thefts and attacks increases”.
In a bid to minimise this, gardaí have published updated advice for the public to be ‘Streetwise’ and avoid being targeted by criminals.
Plan
Make sure you always know how are you travelling and if you have you a designated driver.
Public Transport - buses, trains, and Taxis - remains the safest way of travel. If you’re getting a Taxi use Taxi Check (link here) to verify details.
Always double-check before getting into the car to make sure it is actually a Taxi, take a picture of the registration/Taxi number, and do not accept unsolicited offers of lifts.
Tell someone
Always tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back, so that if your plan changes you have to let someone know - always send a message.
Avoid walking alone
Don't walk alone or in dark places. Always try to stay in the company of friends, it's safer together.
Never try to reason
Never attempt to reason with drunk or aggressive people, walk away and continue to enjoy your night out.
Be streetwise
Avoid getting over-intoxicated, be wary of your surroundings, mind your valuables, protect your mobile devices, never hand your device to a strange person, and protect your PIN if using your device at cash terminals.
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