Be wary, especially the elderly in the community…
Gardaí are urging members of the public to be on the lookout for potential scams after an elderly woman in Galway was the victim of a scam which cost her €850.
According to The Galway Independent, early last week the woman was contacted by a foreign woman who claimed to be from the “anti-fraud VISA Department”. She told the woman that money had been removed from her account, and in order to return it, she would have to transfer money.
The elderly woman transferred €850 of her money. The other woman stayed on the phone with her and urged her not to tell anyone about the incident.
“Please be aware of these type of scams, and highlight the issue to family and friends, in particular the elderly in the community,” a Garda spokesperson told The Galway Independent.
The scam is similar to another one doing the rounds over the past couple of years called “vishing”, where people receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a “security manager” and seeking personal information.
Detective Superintendent Gerard Walsh from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation said previously that:
“These criminals are targeting vulnerable, usually elderly people and I want to warn people to never give anyone details of their bank accounts or credit card numbers.
“Please remember that no genuine person or organisation will call and ask for your details”.
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