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.