Kildare phone owners warned of bogus calls from abroad

By Kim O'Leary

Kildare Gardai are warning members of the public to be vigilant following a spike in bogus phone calls from abroad which may be used by scammers to access bank details of phone owners.

Gardai have issued a warning on a mobile phone scam which is prevalent at the moment.

The current prevalent form of phone fraud affecting users in Ireland is known as Wangiri, a Japanese term that means “one ring and cut”.

According to the Irish Cellular Industry Association (ICIA), the person attempting the scam dials a range of numbers, often using an autodialling service, and the calls are usually from a foreign country.

There is one ring and then the caller hangs up and Gardai have warned phone owners not to call back as their contact list can be copied in three seconds and, if have bank or credit card details on your phone, those details can be copied too.

For more information and advice on phone safety and security visit https://www.comreg.ie/consumer-information/mobile-phone/scam-calls/