Smishing
16 November, 2023Welcome to the fourth day of our International Fraud Awareness Week. Today, we’re focusing on a prevalent and deceptive form of fraud called smishing: Fake Links sent via SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
This type of scam, known as ‘Smishing’, involves fraudsters attempting to trick you into divulging personal information such as your Credit Union details, usernames, or passwords by clicking on a link they’ve sent.
These fraudulent communications often pretend to be from a trustworthy source like your Credit Union, and the acquired information can then be used to access your Current Account, Debit Cards, or Online Banking account.
Fraudsters typically send thousands of generic SMS messages to random phone numbers, hoping for a response. These messages often use generic greetings such as “Dear Customer” or “Account Holder”.
In some cases, they employ a tactic called “spear phishing”, where they use specific details about you, often sourced from social media, to make the message seem more legitimate.
TIP: Never respond to messages or urgent payment requests claiming to be from legitimate services like Your Credit Union, An Post, EFlow, DHL & Amazon. If in doubt, speak directly with the service provider to verify the request before taking any further action.
If you suspect that you’ve been targeted by a ‘Fake Link’ scam, or if you have any concerns about your Current Account or Debit Card activity, please contact our Credit Union Card Services on +353(1)6933333 immediately.
For more detailed information, visit our card safety guidelines at https://currentaccount.ie/support/card-safety-guidelines/.
