Immigrants targeted in phone scam over €500 ‘fines’

Immigrants have been targeted in a phone scam by criminals seeking to make them pay a “fine” of €500.

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, which deals with aspects of citizenship applications and asylum seekers, warned that some of its customers had been contacted by someone purporting to be from INIS and warning them about the fine.

In a statement issued on its website yesterday, INIS said: “Some of our customers have been contacted by telephone by a person purporting to be from INIS indicating that they must pay a fine of €500. They quote the INIS helpline number, which is freely available on our website and other publications, to indicate some kind of legitimacy.