WARNING: Limerick man tells of 'garda' scam

WHEN you hear your phone ringing and the name of a garda station pops up on the screen the natural instinct is to answer it.

You immediately think, "What did I do?" but maybe give it a second thought.

A Leader reader got in touch to say his wife got a call on her mobile this week from 'MALLOW GARDA STATION' which immediately dropped.

"'MALLOW GARDA STATION' isn't saved in her phone so it should have come up as 022 etc....

"I looked up and rang Mallow Garda Station from my phone and was told that the garda that answered was the only one in the station at the time and that he hadn't rang. 

"So obviously the scammers are now able to supplant a service name instead of a number as another means of putting you off guard and ringing back the number on your screen to fulfil whatever scam they're at," he told the Leader.

He agrees that most people would hit the redial button rather than checking for the number.

"My missus was just on the point of doing that, in a panic, even though we've no one in Mallow," he added.

The Leader contacted the Garda Press Office about this scam. It first came to their attention during the summer when they got reports of persons receiving phone calls from fraudsters claiming to be members of An Garda Síochána. 

"The number calling appears to be the phone number of a genuine garda station," said the garda spokesperson who outlined the stages of these scam calls.

1. The person receiving the call is subjected to a pre-recorded or automated message that prompts them to select an option.

2. The person is then put through to a person alleging to be a member of An Garda Síochána.

3. The scammer either looks for personal information or informs the person that their details have been involved or linked to a crime.

4. After giving over personal details the victim receives a follow up call from another scammer seeking more details on behalf of An Garda Síochána (This call appears to be coming from a genuine Garda station number).

The spokesperson said An Garda Síochána will never make contact with members of the public in this fashion. 

"Most members of the public realise these type of calls are not legitimate and do not engage with the scammers. However, An Garda Síochána appreciates that a section of society may have very little to no previous interaction with An Garda Síochána and may be more susceptible to this type of fraud.

"With this in mind An Garda Síochána is working with our National Diversity and Integration Unit to reach out through our various networks to highlight this scam to all," said the spokesperson.

On receipt of these communications, the advice of An Garda Síochána is as follows:

Do not engage with the caller.

Do not return the call.

Do not follow the automated instructions – Do not press 1 etc.

Never transfer money.

Never disclose personal or financial information.

Hang up and end the call.

"Whilst the scammers may change their stories and methods, their goal is always the same – they want to access your sensitive information and get their hands on your money. Gardaí are urging the public to spread the word of fraud prevention as people continue to fall victim to scams on a daily basis.  

"In many cases the subsequent call from the fraudsters appears to provide reassurance to the victim that this is a legitimate call, which it is not. If you believe you may have fallen victim to this scam, contact your financial institution and report the matter to your local Garda station," said the garda spokesperson.