Scammers steal €22.5m from Irish victims as account takeover fraud rises 552%

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau has urged people to be wary of any unsolicited phone calls, emails, and texts and not to click on any links

77% of those who fell victim to account takeover fraud last year were were aged 20 – 50. Just over half (52%) were female. FIle Picture iStock

Account takeover fraud rose by 552% in 2021, with scammers stealing more than €22.5m, according to new figures.

Account takeover fraud relates to 'phishing', 'smishing' and 'vishing' scams in which criminals pose as a bank, service provider, delivery company or government agency in a bid to gain access to the victim's bank account or smart device.