Laois Offaly Gardai issue alert over scam

Laois Offaly Gardai are warning people not to respond to scam text purporting to come from AIB bank or other banks. 

Gardaí are warning the text messages are a scam and could reference any financial institution. 

"The SMS tells the person to call a number to regarding a transaction. This number will bring them an "AIB agent", who will talk a person through how to cancel the transaction. The fraudster will then extort credit and personal details from the victim.  

DO NOT respond to these texts or call this number. If you must call your bank make sure any number matches that which is on the back of your bank card," Gardai stated.  

They are reminding people to never give away personal data such bank account details, PIN numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, one time codes, PPS numbers or Eircodes over the phone. 

Two arrested in relation to fatal Midland assault

"An Garda Síochána advise people not to respond to such texts, to take screenshots of the texts received and delete them and to report it to the bank or relevant company. 

An Garda Síochána also appeals to any person who may have inadvertently or otherwise engaged with this scam, or any similar scam,  and subsequently been a victim of this type of fraud to report it to their local Garda Station," they added.  

Further fraud prevention advice can be found here: https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/fraud/