Dublin: Gardai warn to be wary of Black Friday scams Garda warns people not to fall victim to cybercriminal scams on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Garda warning comes amid predictions that €26 million will be spent on Black Friday shopping. As per data, thieves stole €45 million through online scams last year.
People should be wary of online scams, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. In the run-up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas, online shoppers should exercise extreme caution. Many criminals are creating bogus websites and posting bogus ads on social media. Lordan said people should not hand over money to people they see on social media, thinking the product will be delivered.
More scammers than last year.
Fraud is expected to increase by 37% this year compared to last, according to figures published by the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) FraudSmart. Fraudsters obtain personal information online by believing that a stolen card can be returned.
Through debit and credit card fraud, a total of €14.5 million was stolen (including ATMs). This represents an 18.5% increase over the previous year. This is the highest it has been since 2017.
Statistics show that the majority of online card frauds are carried out with a message saying that the card does not exist.
Card fraud has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to Niamh Davenport, head of the BPFI’s financial crime unit. It was the highest level recorded since 2017.
Scammers are very updated… should exercise caution.
Fraudsters’ tactics and tools are constantly evolving. So be cautious.
Davenport clarified. Scammers have developed a number of techniques to reveal personal and financial information in addition to scam texts, phone calls, and emails. Debit card fraud alone has increased by 46%. Garda has warned customers to think twice before handing over cash or credit card information.
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