Gardaí warned the public about the scam(Image: Getty)

Gardai issue warning over sophisticated scam impersonating members of force

Gardaí warned the public that it is "very easy to have inadvertently or otherwise engaged with this scam"

by · Irish Mirror

Gardaí have issued a warning to the public over a sophisticated scam that sees fraudsters impersonating members of the force.

Authorities warned of the email-based scam/fraud where a person receives correspondence claiming to be from An Garda Síochána.

The correspondence states that the individual is currently subject to ongoing legal proceedings as traces of their "identification data" has been found in investigations related to child pornography and similar offences.

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Issuing advice, Gardaí said they do not and will not make contact with a person under investigation in this way. To help avoid becoming a victim of fraud, Gardaí suggest:

Members of the public have received this fraudulent correspondence claiming to be from An Garda Síochána.
  • Don’t respond to any unsolicited email seeking personal, financial or security advice, never click on a link or attachment in an unsolicited email and if you believe the email is from a genuine source, verify this independent of the email sender.
  • Gardaí also recommend people independently verify any requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you in the fraudulent email.

A spokesperson said: “It is very easy to have inadvertently or otherwise engaged with this scam or another similar scam, and subsequently find yourself a victim of fraud - do not hesitate to drop into or call us in your local Garda Station so that we can help.”

Further guidance on fraud prevention head here.

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