Scams - techbuzzireland.com

Wave of ‘Hi Mam / Hi Dad..” and bank impersonation scam texts in circulation

Bank of Ireland is advising customers to be vigilant amid a notable rise in impersonation scams, including fake family text and bogus bank alerts. Impersonation scams are one of the most common tactics used by fraudsters, with criminals posing as trusted contact, to prompt quick action. These scams arrive by text or via messaging apps and are designed to look familiar, urgent and may even be personalised.

The current wave of scams involves fraudsters pretending to be a family member with a damaged or lost phone, asking for the recipient to pay for something urgently.

The message typically begins with a seemingly innocent message such as ‘Hi Mam / Hi Dad, this is my new number….’ followed by a request asking for help to pay for something. In some cases, the fraudster will ask for a payment to be made to a specific bank account or in other cases ask for a card number and then set it up on a digital wallet e.g. Apple Pay or Google Pay (and ask Mam for the code that the bank just sent).

Fraudsters are also sending texts that closely mimic legitimate Bank of Ireland fraud‑alert messages, particularly those asking customers to confirm whether they recognise a recent card transaction. These scam texts are designed to look authentic, using similar wording and formats to real security messages. While Bank of Ireland may contact customers to verify transactions, genuine staff will never ask you to share your full card details, one-time passcodes or to move your money to keep it safe.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said: “Smishing attempts tend to appear in waves, from motorway toll charges to government payment scams, but the goal remains the same – to get people to share their banking details or transfer money directly into the hands of fraudsters.

We have seen the “Hi Mam / Hi Dad…” texts before. This is a case of fraudsters revisiting a tactic that has worked for them before, preying on a parents’ instinct to respond to a child in need. The sense of urgency in bank impersonation texts is designed to panic people into action to protect their money.

Although 70% of the Irish population are confident they can spot scams according to our latest research*, unfortunately people are still being caught out by these scams.

Our advice is simple – always be on your guard, and pause. Whether the message claims to be from your son, daughter, or your bank- always call back on a number that you already know. That one small step protects you and shuts down the scam instantly”.

Bank of Ireland’s guidance to help customers stay in control:

If you receive an unexpected message from a child or family member asking for help—do not reply and do not click any links.
Verify the sender by calling your family member on their usual number saved in your contacts.
TextChecker service – if you get a text that claims to be from Bank of Ireland but you are not sure if it’s genuine, here’s how to verify it:
- Copy the text you wish to verify.digitPaste into a new message.
- Add the word CHECK before the text. (In the same text)
- Send to 50365.
If you receive a suspicious text, email a screenshot to 365Security@boi.com and then delete the message.
Bank of Ireland customers who believe they may have shared banking information should call the Bank of Ireland 24/7 Freephone line immediately.

How to Protect Yourself Against Romance Scams

As Valentine’s Day, February 14, approaches, organizations across countries, including the FBI in the US, warn people to be aware of romance scams, where cybercriminals create fake identities and manipulate people into sending money. Cybersecurity experts urge users to be particularly cautious this year, as AI enables even more realistic scams, and are offering tips on how to stay safe.

At the start of February, Nigerian police arrested a local cybercriminal for allegedly being involved in a large-scale romance scam. The man posed as “Travis Kevin,” a doctor from the US on Facebook and Instagram, and asked his victims for money for medical supplies in crypto, promising to repay them soon.

The FBI, UK police, and organizations in other countries have recently issued warnings to be cautious about similar Romance scenarios.

A previous report from the US Federal Trade Commission estimated that romance scams in the US alone cost users over a billion dollars back in 2023. Experts at Planet VPN, a VPN provider that emphasizes free service, claim that since then, these types of scams have increased both in numbers and sophistication.

Konstantin Levinzon, co-founder of Planet VPN, says that offenders typically employ tactics such as emotional manipulation and false promises of love or partnership, before fabricating emergencies or investment opportunities.

“Cybercriminals create fake identities on dating sites and social media using psychological manipulation to convince victims to send money. They are increasingly relying on generative AI tools to make their scams more convincing. With AI enabling the creation of fake images and videos with just a click, users should be particularly cautious,” Levinzon says.

A recent report from British bank TSB claims that people aged 65-74 were involved in the most romance fraud cases (23%), with those over 55 making up 58% of cases overall.

Meanwhile, social media platforms were linked to 58% of cases, while dating sites were involved in 42%. The data shows that 30% of scams were connected to Facebook, the highest among all platforms.

Levinzon emphasizes that when it comes to protection from scammers, the same principles apply across all platforms.

“Be suspicious of anyone you’ve never met in person – that’s the only safe approach in a digital world increasingly filled with scams,” says Levinzon. “If someone you meet on a dating site seems suspicious, perform a reverse image search to check if their pictures are stolen from other sources. And if the conversation shifts to money, or if someone asks for personal information, leave the conversation immediately.”

To maximize protection, Levinzon advises using a VPN network. Some scammers can track users’ locations and then try to target them with personalized scams based on their country. When a VPN is turned on, it hides the person’s IP address and location, and encrypts all the data, making it invisible even to your internet service provider.

“For maximum security online, we also advise using strong passwords for all your social media accounts and dating sites, and enabling multifactor authentication. In addition, ensure that your privacy settings on social media platforms are set to the highest level, and limit who can see your posts and personal details,” Levinzon says.

Dublin County Sheriff Seizure notice postal scam

There is not a day that goes by without some scam or another be it text or email from utulity providers or packages being delivered requesting money and these are non stop all year round. This one is a new one from the Dublin County Sheriff

This scam however is a new one and in my local facebook group a reader posted up a letter claiming to be from the revenue but this came in the post but there is several tel tale signs but it caused a bit of a stir on the group and rightly so.

The letter itself has all the headings similar to what you would get and two big red text sections saying SEIZURE PENDING and FINAL notice. After some investigating myself speaking to the person on the page and looking into the matter it turns out to be a scam as the Gardai have been contacted and also say it is a fake.

The website itself alone looks ropey and all the details match the letter so be carefull as there is two of them now online

This is the other one online and fake

The details below match however there is clues

You can contact us using any of the following methods:

Phone: 01 8603077

Email: info@dublincountysheriff.com

Post: Fergus Gallagher, Dublin County Sheriff, Unit 17, Tolka Valley Business Park, Ballyboggan Road, Dublin 11

Here is the letter below and what to watch out for just in case you get one in the post

Bank of Ireland warns customers of ads impersonating well-known retailers

Bank of Ireland is warning customers about social media advertisements currently in circulation which are impersonating well-known retailers offering deals and bargains.

With online shopping at its peak during the holidays, fraudsters are increasingly targeting consumers through scam social media advertisements. These ads often impersonate well-known retailers, luring shoppers with fake offers and directing them to counterfeit websites designed to steal personal and financial information.

The Bank is also reminding customers that its dedicated fraud support team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Christmas and New Year. Last year Bank of Ireland’s fraud prevention team received over 10,000 calls from customers during the peak holiday period (23 December to 29 December), with 550 calls on Christmas day alone.

Key advice for consumers:

Be cautious of social media ads that look too good to be true.
Always verify that you are shopping on the official website of a retailer.
Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited messages or posts – go to the retailer’s website for offers.
If you suspect fraud, contact Bank of Ireland immediately.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: “Christmas should be a time of joy, not worry. Unfortunately, fraudsters see this season as an opportunity to exploit consumers, and we’re seeing many fake adverts currently which are impersonating well known retailers. Our fraud team is working around the clock, even over the Christmas and New Year period, to support customers. If something feels suspicious, trust your instincts and reach out to us straight away.”

Bank of Ireland customers can call the fraud team 24/7 on Freephone 1800 946 764.

Finnish innovation stops scam calls – Rest of Europe is following

Scam calls cause up to €850 million in losses worldwide every year, but in Finland, this tool used by criminals has been practically defeated. At the end of November, the action Finland has taken to reduce scam calls will be competing for the European Crime Prevention Award, and Europol is highlighting it as a model case.

Elisa was the world’s first operator to develop a technical method to identify and block caller ID spoofing. As a result, criminals have no longer been able to use Finnish phone numbers in their scams. In 2023, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) mandated that a scam call blocking solution based on Elisa’s innovation be implemented nationwide in Finland. Since then, a type of scam known as a “technical support scam” coming from abroad has been virtually eliminated in Finland. Elisa alone has blocked nearly 26 million scam calls since 2021. Elisa’s solution was granted a patent in Finland in 2023, and in November 2025, it was also patented in Europe.

“Our employees developed the solution themselves, and we deployed it in our network back in 2021. This solution has allowed us to eliminate the majority of scam calls received by our customers. Criminals’ profits in Finland have dropped from €7 million a year to just a few thousand, meaning Elisa’s actions have already made Finland an unprofitable target for criminals. In 2023, other operators also adopted the solution following Traficom’s decision”, says Karri Jäkkö, Director of Elisa’s Cybersecurity and Service Management Center.

Now this scam call blocking solution has been nominated for the prestigious European Crime Prevention Award. The prize will be awarded on 28 November as part of the EUCPN Best Practice Conference. At the end of September, Elisa and Traficom’s efforts to reduce scam calls also won Rikoksentorjuntakilpailu, a crime prevention competition held in Finland.

From the Finnish model to an international example
Caller ID spoofing remains a tool for criminals elsewhere in Europe: Scam calls are a significant problem, causing an estimated €850 million in losses worldwide annually, according to Europol.

In October, Europol published a report calling for action at EU level: unified technical standards, closer cross-border cooperation, and harmonised regulation to prevent scam calls and hold criminals accountable. The Finnish model is mentioned as a good example. Foreign operators are also actively seeking ways to block scam calls and are interested in the success of the measures adopted in Finland.

“Finland has succeeded in creating a model that effectively protects consumers and prevents criminals from making scam calls from disguised numbers. It’s great to see that this is also attracting international interest. Preventing scams is an arms race between us and the criminals, so we are constantly developing new solutions as well”, says Jäkkö.

In addition to blocking scam calls, Elisa has developed a solution to block calls from unknown foreign numbers. Scam text messages can also be tackled with a solution jointly developed by Traficom and operators.

Elisa’s actions to reduce scams in Finland

2020 – Prevention of “wangiri” scam calls:
Elisa can identify and block commonly known wangiri numbers (a scam involving missed calls to prompt a costly callback) as well as potential new numbers and prevent the number from being displayed, so the victim cannot call the attacker’s line back.
2021 – Elisa develops solution to block number spoofing:
Elisa creates a solution that blocks number spoofing, i.e. falsifying Finnish phone numbers and using them in scam calls.
2023 – Nationwide implementation of the number spoofing blocking solution:
The solution for blocking number spoofing is adopted nationwide by order of Traficom.
2024 – Tackling scam text messages:
If an organisation has registered their sender name with Traficom, Elisa can block scam messages claiming to be sent by that organisation. For example, the Finnish Tax Administration is one of those who have registered their sender ID, so scam messages claiming to be from the tax authorities will not get delivered.
May 2025 – Basic security features for consumer mobile subscriptions:
Elisa introduces default basic features for consumer mobile subscriptions that protect people using the internet on their mobile phone. These include a secure authentication service (mobile certificate), malicious website blocking and monitoring for data breaches.
July 2025 – Ability to block calls from abroad entirely:
Elisa adds the possibility to completely block incoming calls from abroad using its patented solution.

Bank of Ireland warning of spike in ‘safe account’ scam

Bank of Ireland is warning customers about a dramatic increase this week in reports and cases of an attempted ‘safe account’ scam. Customers should be on particular alert for fraudulent texts that attempt to lure them into to calling a fake ‘bank’ phoneline – where the account holder is then duped into transferring funds to their secondary account, in most cases Revolut, and in turn a ‘safe account’, which is controlled by a fraudster.

Reports of the scam to Bank of Ireland’s fraud line and Text Checker service have been on the increase since the start of the year and this week have shown an alarming increase, with daily reports this week over 10 times the number of those reported weekly in April and May.

How it works:

Customer gets a text message to their phone, requesting that they call a phone number about a suspicious transaction/or activity.

The texts claim to be from Bank of Ireland and can drop into the thread of a genuine BOI text: “Did you login from a new device?”; “Do you recognise this transaction?”; or “A transaction for [value] to [merchant] was declined and your card has been placed on hold“ – followed by “if this was not you / if you don’t recognise this / etc. please call us back on [callback phone number].
Callback numbers are usually landline numbers including 01 / 1800 / regional codes.
The callback number will be answered by someone claiming to be from Bank of Ireland, and that there has been suspicious transactions and the customer’s account is compromised.
The victim is then asked if they have a Revolut / or other secondary account. If they say yes, they are told that they should move all the money in their BOI account into their own Revolut account/ or secondary account. The fraudster doesn’t ask for access to the customer’s account, and do not ask for any security details like PIN’s or codes – avoiding common ‘red flags’ associated with fraud.
The victim is then told they then need to move their money from their Revolut account to a new ‘safe’ account.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: “We have been seeing a concerning pattern in the increase of this type of fraud. This week’s escalation has resulted in the highest number of reports in a single day of this particular type of fraud, so we need our customers and the general public to be vigilant and recognise the warning signs. Our main advice is to look out for these texts and do not call back. And remember that Bank of Ireland will never ask you to move your money to another account to keep it safe. If you think you have been a victim of fraud, call the bank’s fraud team immediately on the 24/7 freephone line 1800 946 764”.

What Bank of Ireland customers can do

If in doubt, call your trusted numbers, phone number on back of your physical card or from phone contact details in your mobile App.

Sample fraudulent text messages: or search site more videos and more samples we provided with scams

Stop Scammers from banking a holiday profit

With the Bank Holiday weekend and peak holiday season now upon us, Bank of Ireland is urging consumers to take extra care when making holiday bookings to avoid accommodation scams that typically increase over summer months.

Rental and holiday accommodation scams trick people into paying rent for property that doesn’t exist or is not actually available to rent. These scams can happen throughout the year, but tend to be aimed at people booking holiday rentals abroad or in Ireland, students looking for college accommodation and people looking to rent properties to live.

To date this year, Bank of Ireland has seen an increase in the number cases of accommodation when compared to the same period last year, along with an increase in the amount of money customers are losing in the scams.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: “Fraudsters don’t take time off and are always looking at ways to take your money. Holiday scams can be devastating and costly, as you may arrive at your destination before becoming aware that it’s a scam, so it’s really important that consumers stay vigilant and Stop, Think, Check before making any accommodation payments.”

“Bank of Ireland customers who think they may have fallen for a scam should call our 24/7 freephone line on 1800 946 764 immediately. We encourage our customers to save this number in their phone, especially before they go on holiday, so they have easy access to it if they ever need it.”

To help avoid holiday heartache, Bank of Ireland is reminding consumers:

Stop:

Don’t let anyone make you feel rushed or pressured into making a payment.
Don’t click on links from social media, emails or text messages – always visit official booking websites directly.
Don’t be tempted move the booking off official sites – when contacting property owners on sites such as AirBnB or Booking.com, we have seen a number of cases where owners have offered discounted prices for customers to move off the site and book with them directly which later transpire to be fraudulent.

Think:

Is this deal too good to be true? Often it probably is – take time to confirm the offer is genuine, check reviews and prices on independent websites.
Are you making a secure payment on a trusted platform? Avoid making payments by bank transfer as these often cannot be claimed back.
Before you make a payment, is there anything else you can do to verify the price, property and owner?

Check:

Check any website links – lots of fraudsters will set up websites that look authentic – always double check website links.
Do your research before making any purchase, especially if booking online – consider reviews, check online maps to make sure the property exists.
Are they members of a recognised trade association? Don’t trust a logo on the website you’re booking through; be sure to check directly.

If you do fall victim to a holiday accommodation scam, it’s important to be vigilant to re-targeting by fraudsters who may pose as a bank or booking site offering a refund. Be sure you know who you are speaking to before giving out your bank account details and remember if it’s a genuine caller they won’t mind you taking the time to verify who they are.

For detailed advice and information on how to stay safe from all types of financial fraud, visit the Bank of Ireland’s Security Zone section of the website.

Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of fraud should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can try to stop the fraud and where possible recover funds. Bank of Ireland customers can call our 24/7 freephone line on 1800 946 764 immediately.

DHL sorry we missed you card scam

The latest scam now doing the rounds is one you would not be familiar with so it is time to buckle up and be aware and take heed at what the scammers are now up to.

This time of year we usually see a raise in sms scams from courier companies and more in fact I got one from PTSB the other day in which they have yet to respond to and make people aware. well done lads.

Being involved in the logistic industry years now this is a new one rather than a text or email and it is a missed call card left in your letterbox with no name on it, the giveaway here is there is a QR code on the right with a website address to type in and it is as you guessed a scam and some will fall for it thinking they have a missed parcel. This is for the DHL on demand service.

This all goes down well now with the hold up at holyhead and people will be in panic mode now hoping they have not missed a parcel for themselves or a gift purchased for someone else.

Below is two samples of what you need to watch out for the one on the left is a legitimate card DHL will leave and the one the right is the dodgy one so be extra aware of what is coming through on your phone and in your letterbox and have a great Christmas. Don’t get scammed.

DHL have advised the following

Important Update from DHL We’re aware of social media and WhatsApp messages circulating today about a potential DHL “Not Home” card scam involving our On Demand Delivery service. Here’s what you need to know: Our couriers in Ireland DO leave official cards (see example) when no one is home to accept a delivery. These cards include a QR code for rescheduling your delivery. Scanning this QR code should redirect you to:

Alternatively, typing DHL.ie/ondemand in your browser will direct you to the same link.

Safety Tip: If you’re directed to a different address or encounter cards that don’t match our sample, do not interact with them. Stay vigilant and thank you for trusting DHL!

No An Post is not having a warehouse sale on Facebook

With the festive season well and truly underway this is the time when scammers are most at work and low and behold the scams are rife on Facebook and one of these scams is an An Post scam giving away pallets of goods for little or nothing this is however a thing in other countries but not here. The pages claim they are goods for sale that have not been delivered which is untrue.

We have covered many scams here in detail and what to watch out for before which you can find here not just what you read in the news or hear on the radio going into detail with videos so do check them out.

The latest scam however is catching people with users posting their so called bargain buys from An Post and again all part of the plan, one look at their Facebook pages says it all and for the offending page same thing little or no followers.

It does not matter what is written in their about section on the Facebook page as this can be easily doctored like any other page. The thing is here i the page is also a sponsored page and of course Facebook have done nothing about it despite it being reported and of course to An Post..

Stop Think and Check with any addon social media folks

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