Gardai have issued a warning to the public about a new scam doing the rounds - as they reported a 61% increase in smishing/vishing offences to start 2022.
Smishing is a type of scam which sees an attacker use a text message to trick targeted recipients into clicking a link.
This allows them to start sending the attacker private information or downloading malicious programs to a smartphone.
Usually, the scam texts will come from a scammer pretending to be a reputable organisation like a bank or a supermarket.
A Garda spokesperson explained the latest scam doing the rounds, saying: "An Garda Siochana has noted an increase in fraudulent ‘smishing’ texts being received by members of the public in recent weeks. There has been a 61% increase in smishing/vishing offences in the first 10 days of 2022, in comparison with the same period in 2021.
"GNECB (Garda National Economic Crime Bureau) have issued the following advices:
- Be wary of such texts (even if the message thread includes previous genuine texts from your bank)
- NEVER EVER click on links – by doing so you are accessing cloned websites
- NEVER EVER give away personal data like PINs, one time codes or passwords
- If you have been a victim of this fraud, it is vital you change your password and PIN code immediately
- If you have been a victim of this fraud, report the matter to your bank asking them to recall any transactions which may have taken place, and report the matter to An Garda Síochána
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