Gardaí have warned of a fresh scam that tricks people into buying iTunes gift cards by pretending that you will be helping charity.
This scam has been around before, but has recently reemerged with a fresh twist.
Gardaí recently got a report from a company which had gotten a fraudulent email pretending to be from a senior member of staff there.
They asked that another staff member to go and purchase iTunes gift cards, which they did, and share the 16-digit code on the back of the card.
The scammers will then use this code to purchase goods online.
The twist on this scam that relates to our present circumstances is that the scammers said the gift cards were being used “as a donation to the local hospice” and made reference to Covid-19.
Gardaí are advising people to be vigilant and suspicious of any calls, voicemails, emails etc. from people claiming to represent a company or organisation you may be a customer of or work for.
The person contacting you may have some information about you, so don’t trust them just because they use your name or other personal information.
Always say “NO” to unsolicited calls or emails seeking private information about you. Private information includes your name, address, date of birth, family details, bank account numbers, PIN, or passwords.
Gardaí have also said that people should independently verify any requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you by the person contacting you.
If you receive a request from someone within your business and you are unsure, ring them directly to verify. Do not reply directly to the email.
There have been reports of numerous scams in recent weeks that have taken to using the coronavirus pandemic as tool to try and trick people, often posing as a bank or financial institution to get people to divulge information, or click on dangerous links.
