Bank of Ireland is warning the public to be extra vigilant for fraud as the mass movement of bank accounts accelerates with Ulster Bank and KBC exiting the market.
“Consumers should expect an increase in scam calls, texts and emails as fraudsters commonly take advantage of periods of change to target customers,” the warning said.
Hundreds of thousands of current account customers will move their accounts in the coming months, along with changing direct debits and standing order payments to utilities and other companies.
So far this year, Bank of Ireland has opened double the number of personal current accounts compared to the same period last year. They expected activity to accelerate more through 2022 and fraudsters will try to capitalise on this period of unprecedented change.
The advice to customers is to independently verify messages or calls asking for personal information or account details or containing warnings around the cancellation of important payments. Fraudsters will try to introduce a sense of urgency to persuade consumers to give away their banking details.
Bank of Ireland fraud advice:
- Verify any texts/emails/phones calls saying they are from a bank or a utility provider asking you to take action relating to a direct debit, standing order, subscription.
- Do not click on any link or follow directions from somebody on a call without verifying first. End the call and phone your bank or the utility provider directly, using the number on their website.
- Bank of Ireland will never send you a text with a link to a website that asks you for your online banking login details or any one-time codes that we’ve sent to you.
- If you get a suspicious text please email a screenshot of the text to 365Security@boi.com and then delete the text.
- If you think you may have given away any of your banking details please call our 24/7 Freephone line 1800 946 764 immediately.
