Scam Watch: Text messages from banks

How to recognise a Bank Text Message scam

1. You have placed your mobile phone number on a website.
2. You receive a text message telling you "Your Access to Internet Banking has been suspended..."

How does it work?

1. The text you receive appears to be a legitimate warning from a bank.
2. It will tell you to click on a link to update your account/take recommended action.
3. When you click on the link you will be prompted to input your bank account details.
4. The scammers that send the text DO NOT know which bank you deal with, but send the same text to everyone on the off chance of catching even one person out.
5. If you do input your bank details, the scammer then has full access to your bank account.

What has really happened here is that there was nothing wrong with your bank account, the bank DID NOT send this text and a scammer is trying to get your bank details.

Financial institutions DO NOT send text messages about account security updates.

DO NOT click into the link in the text message if you receive it.  DoneDeal does NOT store ANY bank account details on our site for your added security.

Example

Text message reads:

"Your access to AIB Internet Banking has been suspended because your AIB Code Card has expired.  Please go to http://securityaib.org to update your account"

OR

"Your access to Open24 Online Banking has been suspended.  Please go to http://www.permanenttsb-updates.org to update your account."