THE Kerry Citizens Information Centre has reported a big increase in the number of people that have sought help after being exploited by opportunistic fraudsters during the Covid-19 lockdown.
New circumstances and methods of payments have opened up new avenues for scammers who are becoming more creative in devising ways to con people out of their cash.
The Kerry centre said with fraudulent behaviour at an all-time high, it’s important that people take time to familiarise themselves with the signs of a scam and how to deal with it.
“There is a big increase in the number of people contacting us about scams. Some can be quite obvious, while others can be very difficult to recognise,” said Kerry Citizens Information Centre manager rances Clifford.
“What we advise people is, if in doubt, do not open the message or email, do not click on the link or engage in any way and don’t hesitate to contact the company to verify if the communication or message is real or not,” she said.
She encouraged those with any concerns to contact the Citizens Information Centre who are answer to any questions and to help in any way.
Phishing is a cyber-crime that uses disguised text messages and email as a weapon. The goal of the scammer is to trick the victim into believing that the message is something they want or need and is from a source they know or trust. Examples could include a request from their bank with a click to a link or a downloadable attachment or a notification to pay customs duties on a home delivery.
“Scammers are cunning and believe that they are above the law. This is why we must be one step ahead of them at all times and know the signs, and how to protect ourselves from scams,” Frances Clifford stressed.
The public has been advised to be very cautious of:
- Unsolicited contact from any company
- A deal that seems too good to be true
- When asked to share personal details
- When being pressured to respond quickly or transfer money quickly
- When asked to pay by an unusual method, for example through a transfer service like Western Union or virtual currency like Bitcoin
- Misspellings or grammatical mistakes
- Unusual email addresses
For anyone needing information, advice or have an advocacy issue, they can call a member of the local Citizens Information team in Kerry on 0761-07 7860 and they will be happy to assist and make an appointment if necessary.
The offices are staffed from Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. Alternatively people can email on tralee@citinfo.ie or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie for further information and contact details.
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