1 in 3 Irish Adults Are Victims of Scams
Image: DJ Carey
1 in 3 Irish Adults Are Victims of Scams
Text: Izzy Copestake
Adults in Ireland are increasingly becoming victims of scams and fraud.
Research newly released from The Central Bank has indicated that at least 1 in 3 Irish adults have been victims of fraud or scams in their lives. 2 in 3 of these victims have suffered financial losses as a direct result of the scams.
The most common form of scam was online purchase scams which accounted for 48% of the scams. 34% of scams reported were debit and credit card scams, 15% were delivery service impersonation, 13% were email phishing scams.
But the actual levels of fraud may be much higher than officially recorded. Research from The Central Bank has shown that 38% of those surveyed never reported their experience of being scammed. However, 57% of those surveyed who did report the scam to their bank or an authority received their money back.
“Reporting to your financial service provider makes it more likely your money can be recovered and where you did not specifically authorise the payment transaction you have a statutory right to a refund, subject to limited exceptions,” says Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Colm Kincaid. “By reporting, you may also help others by making your financial service provider aware of the fraud.”
According to The Central Bank, the behaviours that put you most at risk of being scammed include responding to unsolicited messages, not using two factor authentication for online purchases, sharing bank details in a risky manor, and sending money to people you do not know in person.
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