Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
David Kent & Sophie Collins

WhatsApp scam: Phone users urged to be aware of 'family' attack doing the rounds

WhatsApp users are being warned to be aware of a dangerous new scam that's doing the rounds - where you receive a text message from a "family member".

Millions of Irish people have been affected by fraudulent texts, emails and calls in the last 18 months, with scammers trying to swindle people out of their hard-earned money.

Usually, we see the criminals try to pretend to be a reputable organisation like a bank, the Gardai or a phone company.

But this new alert is being raised because now they're acting as a family member texting their mother because they have been "lost."

The convincing trick starts off by sending a WhatsApp message that says: "Hi Mum, my phone isn't working, please can you phone and text me on this number."

The scammers then go on to ask the unknowing parent to hand over bank details and make a payment for them.

It's led consumer rights group Which? to issue a warning about the scam on social media.

The latest scam targeting people in Ireland has seen one unfortunate victim lose €4,000 as a stark warning is issued.

Scammers are reportedly calling people’s phones pretending to be from Eir’s technical support team and are telling customers their internet needs to be upgraded.

They are then getting the customers to download an app called TeamViewer onto their phones, through which they can take over the device.

They will then ask for your bank details - attached to your Eir account - and a copy of your driver’s licence to prove your identity.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.