A local woman in Donegal avoided being scammed out of €95 after receiving a fake call from a fraudster pretending to be from the HSE.
The woman was waiting on a date for a hospital appointment for her daughter when she got a call from a man saying that a date had been arranged. The caller already knew the daughter’s name and date of birth.
The caller then asked for a payment of €95 prior to the appointment.
Gardaí shared details of the case this week to alert people to how fraudsters are exploiting people on HSE waiting lists.
“The lady decided to check out the matter before making the payment and discovered that the number was totally unrelated to the HSE,” said Garda Niall Maguire.
“Many would be convinced by this type of call, especially when you are vulnerable and waiting on a hospital appointment.”
The advice from gardaí is to be wary of cold calls.
- Always ask for a caller’s name and phone number.€
- If you have any concerns just hang up.
- Ring your bank or service provider, or in this case, the hospital, using a verified number.
- Never give away your personal or financial information.
- Never transfer money over the phone.
