GARDAÍ in Limerick are warning about a “very detailed and organised scam” involving fraudulent calls and payments through Western Union.
Sergeant Michelle O’Halloran, Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street Garda Station, explained that a local woman in her 70s received a phone call from a man claiming to be from her financial institution. He told her that fraudulent transactions had appeared on her account.
“He even gave her the name of the supposed recipient, which happened to be the same surname as the victim — making the call sound even more legitimate,” Sergeant O’Halloran explained.
“He then involved another person, a woman, in a conference call, and the victim could hear them pretending to argue about refunding her money.”
The woman on the line offered to return the full amount allegedly transferred, plus extra for inconvenience — but claimed they could only send a specified amount if the victim agreed to return some of the money through Western Union.
“The victim was convinced,” Sergeant O’Halloran said. “The male caller stayed on the phone while she went to the Post Office, guided her through the money transfer process, and even asked her to read out her identification details.”
“Later, when she checked her bank account, she realised there had been no fraud at all. It was a complete scam from start to finish.”
She warned that such scammers are “extremely skilled at gaining trust”.
“They often sound calm, polite, and even helpful. They use just enough real information to make their story sound believable, and they keep people on the phone for as long as possible to stop them from checking with anyone else.”
Sergeant O’Halloran warned that no bank will ever ask customers to transfer money, give ID details, or share account information over the phone.
“If you get a call like this, hang up immediately, and then call your bank back using a number from your card or official correspondence,” Sergeant O’Halloran advised. “Never rely on a phone number or link provided by the caller — always source it yourself.”