Phishing is a tactic often used by scammers to trick victims into revealing personal information and bank details
Gardaí have issued an alert to Irish banking customers following an incident where a man in Co Galway became the target of a banking fraud.
Fraudsters managed to obtain access to the person's bank account after falsely claiming they were employed by PTSB, stating the man's account had been breached.
The message alleging the account was hacked contained a link that the victim subsequently clicked on.
They then got a telephone call from an unidentified number where the fraudster posed as a genuine bank representative.
The victim unwittingly granted access to their online account, and a quantity of money was stolen as a consequence, reports Galway Beo.
Gardaí are warning the public about the scammers
Gardaí are advising people to remain vigilant to the text message or ‘smishing’ scam in which victims receive a text appearing to be from their bank asking them to confirm personal details or click on links to unfreeze their account.
A garda spokesperson said: "An Garda Siochana urge listeners to be wary of Texts alleging to be from Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Bank, An Post, Revolut or PTSB or any text message asking for personal details and bank details.
"A legitimate bank will never text, email, or call you asking for your personal details such as your pin, password, or full card details."
PTSB have also issued a warning to customers to be vigilant against scammers as they issued some advice on how to protect yourself from fraud.
"We are aware of fraudulent text messages and phone calls in circulation claiming to be from PTSB," a PTSB spokesperson said in a statement.
"Here's what you need to know:
"If you've received a message or call you're unsure about, do not respond. Contact us directly on 01 669 5851 for suspected unusual activity. Lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
Examples of text messages in circulation
The following are some warning signs:
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