Farmers warned to watch out for scammers

FARMERS have been warned to be wary of scammers – purporting to be ringing from Revenue – seeking their bank or credit card details.

The calls are showing up with an 051 code (ostensibly the Waterford area), with the recipient of the contact being informed that they are due a tax rebate.

To ‘facilitate’ this fictitious rebate they are then asked for their bank or credit details to facilitate the refund – Gardaí have advised that this is just another one of the many phone scams doing the rounds.

Connacht IFA Chair, Pat Murphy, told the Farming Tribune that a number of farmers had received calls from such numbers over recent weeks.

“I suppose the first advice is to hang up immediately on any of these calls and never, ever give any of your personal details of any description to someone contacting you in such a manner.

“Revenue, banks or any other legitimate businesses will never seek personal details like this by way of a random call, text or email, so just be on your guard as regards any such approach,” said Pat Murphy.

Sergeant Michael Walsh, Galway Crime Prevention Officer, told the Farming Tribune, that this was just one of a number of scams that continued to do the rounds by criminals seeking to defraud people.

“What we have seen as well over the past couple of months is scams where the word COVID is included in the website in the hope of luring people to that particular website.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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