Warning Issued Over Debit Card Scammer

Gardaí in Cork, Tipperary and Limerick are urging members of the public to be vigilant following a number of scams in the area.

In one of the known incidents, a man, claiming to be from the company Phone Watch, has taken debit cards off people and then withdrew cash from their accounts.

One such incident occurred on Saturday 29 February 2020 at approximately 3.30pm when the man, who is reported to have dark hair and glasses, called to a house in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and was invited in after claiming he was an employee at Phone Watch.

This man, who possesses apparent Phone Watch paraphernalia and literature, stated he would upgrade their system for a fee. When the victim handed over his debit card for payment, the man asked the injured party to enter his pin number into a small device he was carrying. He then retained the debit card and handed back a different one.

Cash was then withdrawn from a number of banks in Tipperary and Limerick on Saturday 29 February 2020 and Sunday 01 March 2020.

While investigations are ongoing into these incidents, Gardaí are appealing to the public to always be careful providing details to anyone not known to them calling to their home, particularly bank details.

If you are unsure about the bona fides of any caller, do not invite them into your home and contact your local Garda Station who will assist you in verifying their details.

Anyone with information in relation to incidents of this nature are asked to contact their local Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

(MH/CM)