Industry lobbying led to creation of task force to tackle scam calls

The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) last year reported a 15-fold increase in reports of phishing and smishing

Criminals involved are sending up to 500,000 texts a time from a phone abroad.

A new task force aimed at tackling the scourge of scam calls and text messages was established by the Government last year on foot of lobbying by employers' group Ibec.

Telecommunications Industry Ireland, a branch of Ibec, held at least one meeting with the Department of Communications and lobbied Minister of State Ossian Smyth and an assistant secretary within the department on the matter.