Gardai have issued advice on how to avoid online shopping fraud after Irish consumers lost €22 million in credit and debit card fraud last year. Onlin.
Detective Inspector Mel Smyth of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) said there are three main types of victims in online fraud - a person who buys something and does not receive it, a person who sells something but gets no payment, and a financial institution when compromised cards or bank accounts are used to make online purchases.
“The biggest risk is in a person-to-person situation where you contact someone through social media or an online selling site and all you have is a phone number and a voice at the end of the phone,” he said.
“There is always a risk there in both buying and selling. And what looks like an Irish phone number might not actually be Irish at all but could be managed from abroad and made to look Irish.
More than €10m stolen from Irish businesses in 2020 through invoice redirection fraud independent.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from independent.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.