You have been warned.
Gardaí have warned the public of a recent "smishing" scam where people receive text messages pretending to be from Permanent TSB which claim that there has been "unusual activity" or a "suspicious log-in attempt" on their account.
Once the person clicks on the link, they will be brought to a cloned website, where the fraudsters will seek their pins, passcodes and other personal information.
"The information sought is far and beyond what a bank would ever seek," Gardaí said in a statement.
"The fraudsters want your personal data so they can steal money from your bank account or purport to be you when contacting banks."
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) has warned the public to be wary of such text messages.
It urges people to contact their bank on the numbers they usually use if in any doubt to the authenticity of a text like this. People should not use a number supplied by these texts.
"There are other ‘smishing’ texts being received and these can purport to be from service providers, revenue, banks and/or delivery businesses," Gardaí added.
"Some can fit into the threads of previously received genuine texts which adds an air of authenticity to them."
Gardaí's advice to the public is:
- Never click on a link of an unsolicited text or email or respond to cold callers seeking personal information
- Never give away personal data like PIN numbers, card numbers, passwords, one time codes, PPS numbers
- Be very careful if you are expecting a delivery and receive a text
- Contact your bank immediately if you have responded to such a text and report the matter to Gardaí
- Change your passwords/pin codes if you have been a victim
"Banks will never text you seeking personal information like account numbers, passwords, pin codes, mother’s maiden’s name," Gardaí added.
