Bank of Ireland has issued an alert about the increasing prevalence of scams involving fraudsters pretending to be relatives of people they target.
The bank is advising people never to trust text messages but instead to stop, think and check.
Fraudsters are sending people fake messages purporting to be from a member of their family with a lost or damaged phone who needs access to money.
The Bank of Ireland says there has been a 25% increase in such cons this month co-inciding with the holiday season, when many people are away from home.
The text message scams follow a similar format each time, opening with “Hi Mum / Hi Dad, this is my temporary new number …” followed by a request intended to look like it is from a child asking for help to pay for something urgently.
These messages ultimately lead the customer to website links that are not genuine and are an attempt to collect personal card and online banking details.
People who receive a text message from an unknown number with an unusual request from a child or family member are advised not to respond to the SMS or click on any link that may follow.
Instead, recipients are advised to verify the identity of the sender and call the family member, using their usual phone number.
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