Gardaí issue warning over bank card scam

An Garda Síochána has issued a public warning regarding a Bank of Ireland ‘smishing scam’.

BOI customers have been contacted via text message, which appears to have come from their bank, leading them to believe their bank card has been compromised.

The fraudulent text states that the customer’s card has been skimmed and subsequently deactivated by the bank. The person is then asked to follow a link to a false Bank of Ireland website in order to follow steps to obtain a new bank card.

Gardaí have urged people not to respond to such text messages, but instead to take a screenshot of the message, delete it and report to your local garda station.

Gardaí also state that financial institutions would never request a customer to return a card to the bank in such circumstances.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) conducted searches this week at addresses in Dublin in relation to this matter.

A garda spokesperson said a number of bank cards were recovered during the course of these searches, and returned to their owners.

A male youth was arrested and is currently detained in Tallaght Garda Station.