Police warn against scams after more than €100,000 stolen in past two weeks

Police say at least 200 people have fallen victim to the email and SMS scams  

The police have said that more than €100,000 have been stolen by scammers over the past two weeks.

The scam, which has seen more than 200 reports filed to the Cyber Crime Unit, saw victims having between €800 and €1,800 debited from their bank accounts.

Scammers posing as companies send out text messages or emails informing clients they received a package. Victims are then instructed to click on the link and pay a small administrative fee for this package to be delivered to them.

Once they click on the provided link, customers are provided with a fake website similar to the operators, and are asked to input sensitive details like credit card details and passwords.

The scammers use this information to withdraw large amounts of money.

In another scam, bank customers are notified of a fake “suspicious transaction”, and are asked to click on a link to verify the transaction in questions. Victims are once again directed to a fake website where they are asked to input sensitive details.

People who receive the suspicious text message or email are encouraged to report them to the police.

The police have also warned against rushing into inputting sensitive details, and said that people should visit companies’ official websites before doing so.