Warning over Revenue text alert scam

Details offered include PPS number, date of birth and myAccount password to fraudsters.

Gardaí in Cavan and Monaghan are warning people to be aware of a text alert scam currently circulating stating that a refund is owed from the revenue.

“This is not genuine,” the Garda warning states.

Reports earlier this year state that fraudsters may have gained access to thousands of taxpayers’ Revenue accounts using information provided by them unwittingly.

Details offered include PPS number, date of birth and myAccount password to fraudsters.

Following an investigation by Revenue’s IT Department into this latest scam, a letter has been sent to approximately 3,000 taxpayers to make them aware of its concerns that their their myAccount may have been accessed as part of a scam which was sent via text message.

It also outlined the possible serious implications and to set out some practical things they can do to minimise the extent of any fraud perpetrated against them.

It is the latest SMS scam after people were being texted by fraudsters to tell them they have been in contact with a patient who has Covid-19 earlier this year.

Victims of the scam were being sent a text claiming they’ve been in contact with a confirmed case or someone presenting with symptoms, and then asked to click on a link.

The advice given by Government at the time was to delete the text straight away.