AIB calls for vigilance against scams as criminals more active throughout Christmas season
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Fraudulent text messages were “by far” the most common scams to target Irish customers in the first 10 months of this year, newly released figures by AIB show.
The lender has warned customers to remain vigilant against fraud throughout the festive season, with criminals unlikely to take any time off over Christmas.
Almost 94% of all scam attempts made between January and October were fraudulent text messages claiming to be from reputable banks, delivery or utility companies with the “smishing” messages often followed by a phone call claiming to be AIB. The lender also warned that criminals sometimes use the bank’s actual phone number, making the call feel more legitimate for victims.
AIB has urged customers to end the call immediately, and to not hand over security details such as codes sent by text, push notifications or from a card reader.
The bank also warned of the increasing threat of investment frauds which are on the rise, with many criminals using social media as a means to advertise what they call highly profitable investments.
The lender also highlighted the threat of phone fraud which sees criminals calling people pretending to be from legitimate businesses. Consumers should also be wary of cloned websites offering fake discounts, AIB said.
It also reminded people that acting as a money mule is a criminal offence, with people bring approached by scammers online or in person to move money through their personal accounts or to open a bank account in their name.
"This use of your account, even if you don’t know where the money has come from or is going to, means you are becoming a money mule. This may result in your bank account being closed or a criminal conviction for money laundering," the bank warned.
AIB’s Head of Financial Crime, Mary McHale said “as the festive season gets well underway, we know fraudsters will be hoping to take advantage of people as they relax and take some time off with friends and family. We are urging people not to let their guard down and to remain vigilant, especially over Christmas and the New Year when many of us will be shopping online.
"AIB will never ask customers to log into a website or phone a number contained in a text message. We urge customers to end any conversation where someone is purporting to be from their bank and is requesting security details including security codes, one time pass codes, or even to supply images of their face."