DURING the Covid-19 pandemic, a significant amount of criminals diversified their endeavours to survive online.
Today, with the pandemic only a distant memory, the efforts of criminals to keep busy has left the public with a lesion of scammers.
Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street Garda Station, warned that attempts at fraud have only become more sophisticated in recent years as scammers to more weary consumers.
In recent weeks, two women in Galway fell victim to the same type of scam in which a scammer impersonates a government official offering State entitlements.
Both of the elderly women then received a call from their “bank”, warning them about suspicious activity and potential fraud only to be told to hand their debit card to a courier en route to their home.
Unfortunately, according to Sergeant Leetch, the two older women handed their cards over willingly.
The victims later found that their cards were used to withdraw money and make a series of purchases in Dublin. For one of the women, the whole ordeal cost €8,000.
Urging the public to stay vigilant, Sergeant Leetch urged people to never take an out-of-the-blue text at face value or click on any unidentifiable links. She advised people to ask a trusted friend or family member for their input, particularly when it comes to handing over sensitive financial information.
