Mary MCFadden, 13 Nov
AIB is warning customers of scam text messages circulating in the
community.
According to the bank, criminals are targeting customers by pretending
to be AIB and contacting them via text message or by calling on the
phone.
The fraudulent messages often claim an AIB account has been frozen or
placed on hold due to suspicious activity on the card.
Victims are often told to click a link and "follow on-screen
instructions" which, if personal information is provided, could give
fraudsters access to the phone.
In a warning released on their website, AIB urged people to be careful
and "never click a link in a text message".
They are also reminding people to keep card reader codes or one-time
passcodes private.
According to a report published in November 2022 by the Banking and
Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI), almost €45 million was stolen
from people in Ireland through scams and frauds in the second half of
2021, a jump of 50% on the same period in the previous year.
AIB is reminding customers that no legitimate supplier - whether a bank
or a delivery company - will ever ask you to supply online banking
information or passwords by text.
They are also encouraging people to be aware of other warning signs,
such as putting you under pressure to act quickly or unusual looking
links.
According to AIB, making it seem like something bad will happen if you
don’t act quickly - e.g. ‘We will freeze your account unless you click
here now!’ or ‘a delivery fee is due on your parcel. If it’s not paid
IMMEDIATELY the parcel will be returned to sender’ - is a good sign
that it’s a scam.
If you are still in doubt, examine the link; most legitimate links will
follow a straightforward format without additional words or punctuation
marks (like aib-auth-id-20.com).
Also, look for the little padlock and the 'https'; without both of
these, it’s not secure.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, fill out AIB's fraud form
here.