A shocking four in five people across Ireland have received a text, call or email which they thought was fake in the past year.
A survey carried out by AIB has revealed the frightening extend of fraud being attempted against people during lockdown.
The research revealed that those over the age of 55 were more likely to be targeted by fraudsters, with 85% of this age group reporting that they have received some form of fraudulent communication within the last year.
Last year fraud losses on Irish consumers’ credit and debit cards amounted to €22 million last year.
The research comes as banks are warning customers to be aware of the signs of fraud in order to protect themselves and to prevent fraudsters from stealing their money.
Sean Jevens, Head of Digital Engagement at AIB said “More people are shopping or making payments online as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, and fraudsters have seized on this opportunity to send consumers fraudulent messages.
“The data shows an increase in activity by fraudsters trying to steal people’s money, which has seen four in five adults receiving either a text, call or email which was not genuine in the past year.
The latest research showed there is a high level of awareness among people in Ireland regarding fraud, with 98% of people saying they have ignored or reported a fraudulent text, call or email when they receive one which is encouraging.
However, as fraudsters are using sophisticated new ways to scam customers and steal their money, some people are still falling for fraud and customers still need to be vigilant.
Mr Jevens added “People can follow simple steps to ensure they are not the victim of fraud, including not clicking any links that may appear to come from their bank, hanging up on any calls they think are not genuine and ringing back a number only after checking it aligns with the number on the organisation’s website.
“Customers should never share their passwords, login details or one-time passcodes with anyone, even their bank.
The research, carried out by Amarach, also showed that 33% of people received a fraudulent communication from a bank or financial institution they were not a customer of, while 30% received a fraudulent communication claiming to be a technology company.
Another 22% of people have received a fraudulent text message claiming to be from the Revenue Commissioners.
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