Bank of Ireland has issued a warning to customers to remain vigilant amid a wave of new fraud attempts linked to the recent announcement of energy credits in Budget 2025.
The bank highlighted that fraudsters are increasingly using topical events, such as the new energy credits revealed in this week’s Budget, to scam unsuspecting consumers.
According to the bank, scammers are targeting customers by sending SMS messages that falsely claim to be from the government. These messages suggest that recipients are eligible for discounted bills under the new energy credit scheme. However, this is merely the first step in a scheme designed to steal personal banking details.
Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, explained that these scams often mirror current events to seem more credible. Fraudsters capitalise on recent news stories to create convincing scenarios that trick people into divulging sensitive information.
In response to the ongoing scams, Bank of Ireland advises customers to avoid clicking on links or responding to SMS messages that appear to come from the bank, the government, or other service providers.
The bank further advises that anyone receiving a suspicious call should hang up immediately and avoid returning the call to any number provided by the caller.