Irish Examiner View: We must do more to stop scam calls

Irish people are the second most likely citizens of EU member states to be victims of some form of mobile phone con, losing €5,300 on average.

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We have reported regularly this year on the extraordinary increase in the number of attempts to defraud people via their mobile phones.

Detective Chief Superintendant Paul Cleary, head of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, told us that phishing (impersonating bona fide organisations to gain personal information) and smishing (using the short messaging system for a similar subterfuge) have increased by 1,440% year-on-year.