Latest news with #NicolaSadlier
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Banks warn customers to be vigilant over holiday scams
Banks are urging customers to be on their guard in the coming weeks as the holiday season brings increased risk of falling victim to rental scams. Bank of Ireland warned customers to be wary when making holiday bookings to avoid falling victim to accommodation scams, where fraudsters trick people into paying for property that doesn't exist or is not available to rent. The bank said it had seen an increase in the number of cases, and also a rise in the amount of money that customers were losing to the scams. 'Fraudsters don't take time off and are always looking at ways to take your money,' said Nicola Sadlier, head of fraud, Bank of Ireland. 'Holiday scams can be devastating and costly, as you may arrive at your destination before becoming aware that it's a scam, so it's really important that consumers stay vigilant and stop, think, check before making any accommodation payments.' READ MORE Rental scams happen throughout the year, but are usually targeted at people booking holiday rentals abroad or in Ireland, students looking for college properties and people looking to rent living accommodation. [ Scam listing on turns holiday dream into a nightmare Opens in new window ] The bank has issued advice to customers, including double-checking websites are genuine, not being pressured into making payments, don't click on links from social media, emails or texts, and going to official booking websites directly. Holidaymakers should also be wary of moving off official sites in return for a discount, as this can often be the hallmark of a scam. Customers should also be wary about deals that seem too good to be true, and ensure that any payments are made on a secure, trusted platform. [ 'Email had my booking reference plus details of guests': customers targeted by scam Opens in new window ]
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Bank of Ireland warns of rise in holiday scams ahead of summer season
Bank of Ireland is urging consumers ahead of the peak holiday season to take extra care when making bookings to avoid accommodation scams that typically increase over the summer months. Rental and holiday accommodation scams trick people into paying rent for a property that doesn't exist or is not actually available to rent. These scams can happen throughout the year, but tend to be aimed at people booking holiday rentals abroad or in Ireland, students looking for college accommodation and people looking to rent properties to live, the lender warned. To date this year, Bank of Ireland says it has seen an increase in the number cases of accommodation when compared to the same period in 2024, along with an increase in the amount of money customers are losing in the scams. Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: 'Fraudsters don't take time off and are always looking at ways to take your money. "Holiday scams can be devastating and costly, as you may arrive at your destination before becoming aware that it's a scam, so it's really important that consumers stay vigilant.' 'Bank of Ireland customers who think they may have fallen for a scam should call our 24/7 freephone line immediately." The bank is warning customers not to let anyone make them feel rushed or pressured into making a payment, and to not click on links from social media, emails or text messages. "Don't be tempted to move the booking off official sites," Bank of Ireland said. "When contacting property owners on sites such as Airbnb or we have seen several cases where owners have offered discounted prices for customers to move off the site and book with them directly, which later transpires to be fraudulent."
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
3 bogus texts to watch as new wave of scam messages dupes Irish people into giving out bank details & alert issued
THOUSANDS across Ireland are being warned over a new wave of scam messages as a major bank issue an alert. Bank of Ireland has warned that new mobile phone Advertisement 2 Bank of Ireland is warning customers of the scam Credit: Patrick Cummins - The Sun Dublin 2 The scam can appear as a genuine message Credit: Getty Images - Getty The scams lure customers to call a fake bank phone line, with The When the number is called, the unlucky customer will be told to provide confidential One example of the texts sent reads: "We placed your card on hold. Did you attempt a transaction at TESCO for 189.99. If you did, reply 1. Otherwise, call us at +3532780332. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS Another reads: "Your BOI debit card restricted. Did you authorize €1005.90 at REVOLUT? Reply 1 if yes, or call 019640048 if not." A third said: "Your card has been placed on hold. Did you authorize a 249.99 transaction at Harvey Norman. If you recognise this reply 1. If not please call us on 35361518082." Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said: 'We want to warn people as we are seeing a particular spike in these phone scams at the moment. "We have seen more than 20 fake phonelines so far in April, that's a significant increase on other months. Advertisement MOST READ IN THE SUN Exclusive 'If a customer needs to verify if any text message is legitimate they can call their bank using the phone number on their bank card. "Bank of Ireland customers can also use our TextChecker service. "If someone suspects they have been a victim of fraud they should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can take action to stop a fraud in progress and try to recover funds. "If we're suspicious about possible fraud on your debit or credit card, we might text you and ask you to confirm if you made a transaction, but all you have to do is reply YES or NO.' Advertisement Bank of Ireland say you should look out for any messages claiming to be from your These texts may appear as a thread in genuine texts. They can often claim that urgent action is needed or there will be negative consequences. If you, however, believe the text is genuine, call the bank using the number provided on your bank card. Advertisement If the text appears to be from Bank of Ireland but you remain unsure, you can use TextChecker to verify it. To do this, copy the text and paste it into a new message, add the word CHECK before the message in the same text and send it to 50365. Bank of Ireland will reply to let you know whether it's genuine. If you have been a victim of the new scam, Bank of Ireland's Fraud Team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1800 946 764. Advertisement
Extra.ie
29-04-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Bank of Ireland issues urgent warning over 'new wave' of scam texts
A new text scam is targeting Bank of Ireland customers, luring them into calling a fake bank phoneline. Bank of Ireland has had more than 20 fake phonelines closed down so far in April. The elaborate scam targets customers with a text message to their phone regarding a recent transaction. They then direct the customer to call a phone number in relation to the issue. A new text scam is targeting Bank of Ireland customers, luring they to call a fake bank phoneline. Pic: Robson90/Shutterstock The caller is then persuaded into providing their confidential bank details to the fraudster or transferring money into their account. Sharing advice for consumers, Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said: 'We want to warn people as we are seeing a particular spike in these phone scams at the moment. We have seen more than 20 fake phonelines so far in April, that's a significant increase on other months. 'If a customer needs to verify if any text message is legitimate they can call their bank using the phone number on their bank card. Bank of Ireland customers can also use our TextChecker service. Bank of Ireland has had more than 20 fake phonelines closed down so far in April. Pic: Shutterstock 'If someone suspects they have been a victim of fraud they should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can take action to stop a fraud in progress and try to recover funds. If we're suspicious about possible fraud on your debit or credit card, we might text you and ask you to confirm if you made a transaction, but all you have to do is reply YES or NO.' What to look out for Text messages claiming to be from your bank, asking you to call a number to confirm financial or personal information. These texts can drop into a thread of genuine texts. Often they claim that urgent action is needed or there will be negative consequences. The elaborate scam targets customers with a text message to their phone regarding a recent transaction. They then direct the customer to call a phone number in relation to the issue. Pic: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images What Bank of Ireland customers can do If you need to check if a text is genuine, call your bank using the phone number on your bank card. If a text claims to be from Bank of Ireland but you are not sure if it's genuine, customers can also use TextChecker to verify it. Copy the text you wish to verify. Paste into a new message. Add the word CHECK before the text. (In the same text) Send to 50365. Bank of Ireland customers can call the Bank's Fraud Team 24/7, on the Freephone line 1800 946 764.
BreakingNews.ie
29-04-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Bank of Ireland warn about 'significant increase' in phone scams in April
Bank of Ireland have warned about a new wave of phone scams in April. The new mobile phone text scams lure customers to call a fake bank phone line, with more than 20 fake Bank of Ireland phone lines being shut down by the bank this month. Advertisement The scam targets customers with a text message to their phone, requesting that they call a phone number about a transaction. If the victim calls the number, they are eventually duped into providing their confidential bank details to the fraudster or transferring money into the fraudster's account. Nicola Sadlier, head of fraud at Bank of Ireland, said that the bank want to warn people about the 'particular spike' in phone scams, with there being a significant increase so far in April compared to other months. Customers have been warned to look out for text messages claiming to be from your bank, asking you to call a number to confirm financial or personal information. Advertisement The texts can drop into a thread of genuine texts, and often they claim that urgent action is needed or there will be negative consequences. 'If a customer needs to verify if any text message is legitimate, they can call their bank using the phone number on their bank card. Bank of Ireland customers can also use our TextChecker service,' Ms Sadlier said. 'If someone suspects they have been a victim of fraud, they should contact their bank immediately so that the bank can take action to stop a fraud in progress and try to recover funds. 'If we're suspicious about possible fraud on your debit or credit card, we might text you and ask you to confirm if you made a transaction, but all you have to do is reply YES or NO.' Advertisement To use TextChecker, a customer can copy the text they wish to verify, paste it into a new message, add the word CHECK before the text, but in the same message, and send it to 50365. Bank of Ireland will then reply to let you know whether or not it is a genuine text. Bank of Ireland customers can call the bank's fraud team 24/7 on the freephone line 1800 946 764.
