Bank of Ireland Warns of New Text Message Scam Targeting Customers

Bank of Ireland has issued an urgent warning about a new text message scam that tricks customers into calling fake bank phone lines. More than 20 fake phone numbers have been shut down by Bank of Ireland in April alone.

In the scam, fraudsters send a text message to victims, claiming to be from the bank and referencing a recent transaction. They direct recipients to call a phone number for further assistance. Once connected, victims are manipulated into revealing confidential banking details or transferring money to the fraudsters’ accounts.

Sharing advice for consumers, Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said: “We want to warn people as we are seeing a particular spike in these phone scams at the moment. We have seen more than 20 fake phone lines so far in April, which is a significant increase from other months.”

“If someone suspects they have been a victim of fraud they should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can take action to stop a fraud in progress and try to recover funds. If we’re suspicious about possible fraud on your debit or credit card, we might text you and ask you to confirm if you made a transaction, but all you have to do is reply YES or NO.”

Customers should be cautious of the following red flags:

• Unexpected text messages from their bank asking them to call a phone number to confirm financial or personal information.
• Messages that appear within a thread of genuine texts from the bank. (Some scammers manipulate the sender ID so their texts blend in with genuine ones.)
• Urgent warnings suggesting immediate action is required to avoid negative consequences.