Gardaí in Donegal are warning the public of the latest scam text doing the rounds.
It’s known as the ‘grandparent scam’.
The fraudster will send a random text message pretending to be from a family member claiming they need financial trouble which must be kept a secret.
Typically they claim to have lost their phone and are texting from a new number, are based in a foreign jurisdiction and need money for an urgent matter such as a medical bill.
The victim of this fraud will then make a direct payment to the scammers account.
Gardaí are urging the public to not volunteer information that the fraudsters can use to sound more credible, resist the urge to act immediately and call a family member to verify the story.
They are also warning that once money has been sent, it’s gone and cannot be recovered.
