Smishing is a combination of SMS texts and phishing where you are sent an SMS/text message that asks you to log on to a fake Open24 website or other fraudulent websites via a link to update your personal and/or banking information.
Criminals may then use this information to access your internet banking account. They may even ask you to provide the authorisation code provided by your bank which will allow them to validate a payment they are making in the background.
These messages purport to be from a reputable organisation such as a Bank or other service provider e.g. telephone company, Revenue, An Post. The messages are generally urgent in nature and contain a call to action.
Remember, PTSB will never call, email or text you asking for: your account details, your Open24 number, Internet Password, Personal Access Number (PAN), your Visa Card CVV number or One Time Passcode. If you ever get an unsolicited phone call, email, text message or pop-up asking for any of these please contact us on 0818 50 24 24 or +353 1 212 4101.
Identifying fake text messages requires continuous learning as hackers, scammers and technology become more sophisticated. Familiarise yourself with the below examples to help you identify fraudulent text messages.
We are proud to announce that we are the first bank worldwide to add an extra layer of anti-fraud protection to our banking app to further protect our customers (Version 10.2 and higher).
This new opt-in feature offers much needed protection against criminals who trick customers into sharing security information by sending deceptive messages with links - something permanent tsb will never do.
While we can’t completely stop criminals from targeting our customers, this new feature can help prevent some fraudulent activity. This added feature is designed to guard you against criminals who might try to trick you into clicking on harmful links or sharing sensitive details.
When you enable this new feature on your mobile device, any incoming potentially risky texts or fraudulent websites will be identified and flagged to you where they are present on our known fraud list.
If you have been a victim of smishing or if you would like to report suspicious fraudulent activity please call our fraud department on the below number. Lines are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
WhatsApp scams consist of criminals sending out messages via WhatsApp saying "Hi Mam" or "Hi Dad", followed by a scenario where the child may be in trouble and their existing phone is advised to be non-contactable.
This is an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used to convince the user to part with money, vouchers, gift cards etc. See examples below of fraudulent WhatsApp messages currently circulating.
You should be highly suspicious if you:
The best advice is to attempt to contact the person by the original/existing number from your contacts list on your phone to confirm if the activity is genuine.
Fraudsters may provide you with all the information on a transaction, except the one piece they want. They may not ask for your card or account number as they may already have it. The person calling may state that they are calling from the security or fraud department at your Bank or card company.
They will advise that your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and that they are calling to verify the transaction. When you say "No", the caller will then say that they need to verify you are in possession of your card. They may then ask you for:
However, by the time you get your statement or access your account online you'll see charges for purchases or account transfers that you did not authorise.
"Malicious spyware is disguised in a game or an application, which is then marketed to users. If downloaded, the malware steals data from the phone, such as passwords and financial details. Always check a developer is legitimate and review comments regarding the app."
Criminals purporting to be from Anti-virus companies contact customers requesting access to their PC in order clean the PC for a small fee.
