A member received a text message appearing to be from Electric Ireland, asking:
“Do you have a credit union account and did you know you could save 30% on your bills?”
- The message included a link, which the member later clicked.
- This directed her to a very convincing call centre-style interaction.
- She was asked for personal and financial information, including:
- Whether she had a credit union account
- How she paid her electricity bill
Shortly afterwards:
- Her bank, AIB, contacted her to report an attempted €10,000 loan application in her name.
- No impact occurred on her credit union account, but the incident demonstrates clear intent to facilitate identity theft and financial fraud.
Key Takeaways
- The fraud was highly sophisticated and plausible.
- It used a trusted utility brand to lower suspicion.
- It attempted to gather financial behaviour data to enable further fraud (loan application).
Best Actions
- Do not click on links in unsolicited texts, even if they appear to come from known companies.
- Legitimate organisations will not request sensitive financial information via text or unexpected calls.
- Be cautious of offers that seem unusually beneficial (e.g. “save 30%”).
- If in doubt, contact the organisation directly using official contact details.
- Monitor accounts regularly and report any suspicious activity immediately.
