Limerick gardai issue warning as elderly man duped out of €10,000 in phone scam

AN elderly man in Limerick was ‘duped’ out of €10,000 by a fraudster who claimed he was representing his broadband provider.

During an unsolicited phone call, the man, who is aged in his 70s, was informed his  bank account had been hacked.

The man disclosed his account details to the caller in the mistaken belief that the money would be transferred to a secure account in Dubai.

“He didn’t realise that he had been a victim of crime until his bank contacted him the following day to say that they were investigating the unusual transaction of the €10,000 cash to Dubai,” said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.

“As always, do not give your banking details to anybody over the phone. If you are asked for any details hang up the phone and call your bank yourself, they will soon tell you if you have anything to be concerned about,” she added.