Donegal Gardaí are warning the public about a so-called grandparent scam that is doing the rounds again.
This type of scam targets vulnerable older people, by pretending to be a child or grandchild of their.
The scam works via the scammer sending a message from a random number, pretending to be a family member of the victim who has a new phone number.
These fraudulent texts usually originate from a foreign country, and the texts often contain an urgent request for money to be sent.
Gardaí are asking the public to not volunteer information as fraudsters are known to ‘fish’ for facts which they then use to make themselves sound more credible.
They’re also asking to make sure you verify the person’s identity, by asking questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer, or to call a family member to verify if someone is operating under a different number even if you have been told to keep the story a secret.
Gardaí are also reminding the public to not send cash, gift cards or money transfers, as once once the fraudster receives the money, it’s not able to be returned.
