Gardaí in the north-west are urging people to be aware of online and phone scams following a number of cases over Christmas.
The scams relate to fraudsters attempting to gain a person’s bank account details over the phone or online.
Commenting on one local case, Sergeant Jim Fox, crime prevention officer in Sligo/Leitrim, said that one “poor lady” lost money after meeting somebody online through the Tinder dating app.
As a result, the woman took out a loan of €5,000 and gave it to the person who she had never met.
Speaking in today’s Sligo/Leitrim/Donegal community Garda bulletin on OceanFM, Sgt Fox urged the public not to engage with scam callers and scammers online.
Many cases involve people receiving unsolicited phone calls from scammers who say there is a problem with the person’s computer or bank account. The aim of the call is to gain the receiver’s bank details, “and they will clean out the account if they get the opportunity,” Sgt Fox said.
The public has been warned to always check with a bank directly if a caller asks for bank details.
