by Kathy Masterson
A MAN in Limerick had a lucky escape from online scammers after he became suspicious of a text he received claiming to be from the HSE.
According to Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Ber Leetch of Henry Street Garda Station: “This text informed him that he had been in contact with someone who has Covid-19. A follow up text stated that this man must now make an appointment to get a test and that this Covid test would cost €2.50. He was asked to include his bankcard with all the details. Fortunately, even though this text looked like the real thing, he was not taken in and he rang the HSE (Covid Department).
“They informed him that this is a scam, the HSE don’t charge for appointments and will never ask for bank details. )”
Sergeant Leetch expressed her gratitude to the man for contacting the gardaí and informing them of the scam so they could then warn other members of the public.
She concluded: “Scams can take any form so it’s always wise to be suspicious of any form of communication that ‘comes out of the blue’. Never give information in response to an unsolicited text, email or phone call.”