Ireland Scams: Bank, Online & Impersonation Fraud Guide
Common scams in Ireland and how to report to An Garda Síochána, the CCPC, and your bank.
Emergency number: 999 or 112 — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Ireland sees significant volumes of bank impersonation fraud, smishing (fraudulent texts), and online purchase scams. Criminals frequently pose as banks, Revenue (the Irish tax authority), or An Post (the postal service) to steal credentials or push-payment fraud victims into sending money. Investment and romance scams are also prevalent, and the fraud-prevention body FraudSMART, run by the banking industry, publishes regular alerts on the scripts currently doing the rounds.
The classic Irish pattern starts with a text that slots into an existing thread from your real bank — 'a new device has logged into your account' or 'your card has been frozen' — with a link to a cloned banking page. Once credentials or card details are in, a follow-up call from the 'fraud team' (with the bank's number spoofed) talks the victim through 'securing' their money, which means transferring it out. Revenue impersonation spikes around tax deadlines with fake refund or arrears messages, and An Post and courier smishing about customs or redelivery fees is constant. Accommodation fraud is a particular problem in the rental market: fake listings for Dublin and other cities collect deposits from house-hunters — often students arriving from abroad — for properties that are already let or don't exist. Never pay a deposit without viewing the property and verifying the landlord or agent.
Investment fraud rounds out the picture: cloned versions of legitimate brokers, bond comparison sites harvesting savers' details, and crypto platforms recommended by online 'friends'. Check firms against the Central Bank of Ireland's registers and warning notices before investing. When money has moved, ring your bank first — the earlier a recall is attempted, the better the odds — then report to An Garda Síochána and keep the CCPC in mind for consumer disputes.
Common scams
- Bank impersonation and authorised push payment fraud
- Revenue (tax authority) impersonation
- An Post parcel smishing
- Investment and crypto fraud
Tourist-specific scams
- Unlicensed or overcharging taxi services
- Ticket scams for concerts and events
Online shopping scams
- Smishing impersonating banks, An Post, or Revenue
- Marketplace and social media purchase scams
- Phishing emails targeting bank and email credentials
Job scams
- Task scams via messaging apps
- Fake work-from-home and data-entry job offers
Romance scams
- Dating-app romance and cryptocurrency investment grooming
- Long-distance partners with escalating emergencies and travel costs
- Widowed or military personas cultivated over months before money requests
Investment scams
- Clone firm and fake broker scams
- Crypto and 'AI trading' platforms
- Fake bond and fixed-rate savings comparison sites harvesting savers' details
How to report a scam here
- Contact your bank immediately — use the number on your card, not one from the suspected communication
- Report to An Garda Síochána at your local station or via the online reporting service
- Report consumer issues to the CCPC at ccpc.ie
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM) if your operator supports it
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card, not a number from the message or call you received. Acting within minutes of a suspicious transfer gives the best chance of a recall, particularly for SEPA transfers that have not yet settled. Tell the fraud team you were deceived into authorising the payment, ask for the receiving account to be reported, and take a reference number. Irish banks will never ask you to move money to a safe account, read out a full online banking code, or install remote-access software - each of those is always a scam, even when the call appears to come from the bank's genuine number. If you paid by card rather than transfer, ask about a chargeback. If credentials or a code were shared, change them from a different device and ask about a replacement card, and consider reporting the phishing text to your mobile operator as well.
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot all messages, profiles, websites and payment pages
- Save transaction references, account numbers and crypto wallet addresses
- Keep emails with full headers where possible
- Note dates, times, names and phone numbers used
Frequently asked questions
How do I report a scam in Ireland?
Report to An Garda Síochána at your local station or via garda.ie. For consumer protection issues, contact the CCPC at ccpc.ie. Always report to your bank first if money has moved.
Is the Revenue Commissioners text asking for payment real?
Almost certainly not. Revenue contacts taxpayers primarily by letter and does not send unsolicited texts demanding immediate payment. Treat any such text as a scam and report it.
How do I avoid rental deposit scams in Ireland?
Never pay a deposit before viewing the property in person and verifying the landlord or letting agent. Fake listings for Dublin flats — often copied from genuine ads at a below-market rent — target students and people relocating from abroad who feel pressure to secure somewhere sight-unseen.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance