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31st Aug 2021

People warned of phone scam as callers impersonate Department of Social Protection

Clara Kelly

Some of the calls even appear to come from the Department’s phone numbers.

The Department of Social Protection has warned people of a phone scam where callers impersonate officials to attempt to get personal information.

“Customers and members of the public are reminded about scam phone calls and text messages they may receive from individuals claiming to be an official of the Department,” they said in a statement on Tuesday.

They added that the calls and texts have been coming from a wide range of phone numbers, some of which even seem to come from the Department’s phone numbers.

The Department also encouraged people to contact the Gardaí if they receive a similar call or text as they will “never” look for personal information or bank details from members of the public via phone interactions.

“These calls and texts display a range of numbers, including some which may appear to be from the Department’s phone numbers,” the statement continued.

“The Department would like to remind all its customers that it will never seek personal information from customers via text message and will never ask a customer for their bank details over the phone.”

 Any person who receives such a call or text is asked not to disclose any information and to report it to the Gardaí immediately.

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