Gardaí in Co Monaghan are asking people to be on their guard after a rise in fraudulent text messages pretending to come from banks, with a Carrickmacross garda warning that nobody should ever open a cryptocurrency account or wallet on a stranger's instruction.
Garda Tracy Donaghy of Carrickmacross Garda Station made the appeal on Northern Sound on Wednesday, 21 October. She urged locals to treat any unexpected call or text with caution and never to hand over personal details, Northern Sound reported.
How the scam works
The local warning follows a national alert issued by An Garda Síochána last month. Gardaí said then that the scam was "happening right now", and that in one week alone seven known victims were defrauded of approximately €150,000. One victim lost €75,000 on her own.
According to the Garda alert, as reported by Donegal Daily and Dublin Live, it starts with a text claiming the person has an outstanding direct debit payment and urging them to ring a number straight away to sort it out. The person who answers is described by gardaí as "very polished and professional", and the victim comes away convinced they have been talking to real bank staff.
The caller then talks them into handing over online banking logins, approving a two-factor authentication prompt on their phone, or setting up a crypto account where the money can supposedly be kept "safe". Savings can be drained within minutes. The money is then withdrawn or converted into cryptocurrency and moved on quickly, which makes it very hard to trace or recover.
Gardaí said older people in particular are being targeted.
What gardaí advise
The Garda National Cybercrime Bureau's advice, repeated by Garda Donaghy for Monaghan, is:
- Always be wary of unsolicited calls or texts, and never share personal details.
- Do not open a crypto account or wallet on someone else's instruction.
- Never transfer your savings on the promise of guaranteed returns or because you are told a "new account" is needed.
- Do not give anyone remote access to your computer, phone or other devices.
- Talk to someone you trust, or call into your bank or credit union in person, before moving money.
Gardaí also asked people to remind older relatives and neighbours that a real bank will never ask for passwords or login details over the phone. If in doubt, hang up and ring the number printed on the back of your bank card, not any number given in a text.
A growing problem locally
The appeal comes a week after Superintendent Pat O'Connell told the County Monaghan Joint Policing Committee that 246 fraud and deception crimes had been reported in the county so far this year, 75 of them in the third quarter alone. You can read our report on those figures here, including details of a free online fraud talk by AIB's cyber awareness team at St Joseph's Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town on Thursday 10 December.
Anyone who thinks they may have engaged with one of these scams is asked to contact their bank immediately and their local Garda station, including Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Clones or Ballybay.
