Internet scam warning
Those who are caught by it have lost money from their credit card accounts, and also had their computers and emails compromised, often involving expense to have the equipment restored to normal safe use.
It's a variation on the old 'I'm calling from Microsoft, about a problem we've noticed with your computer' scam. In the current one, the perpetrators are piggybacking on the arrival of eFibre to the area. Their victims have already probably received letters and fliers from Eircom about the upgraded service.
The scammer on the phone offers to 'do' the actual upgrade on the spot for a fee, typically €21. In fact, the job can't be done with a phone call, but requires the installation of a new modem on the premises by an Eircom engineer.
In addition to getting the victim's credit card details, he gets the victim to log onto a fake site, and encourages the downloading of a piece of software. That software is in fact 'malware', probably with keystroke tracking which can give away usernames and passwords and other information.
At least one person has been caught out in Kilcullen recently by this scam, so this is a general warning to all locals not to respond to any such solicitations by phone, and never, ever, give out credit card details to somebody who calls them out of the blue. Equally, don't be manipulated into clicking onto links and sites, or into downloading stuff that likely is intended to do you and your device harm.
Caveat. Caveat.
UPDATE: A reader has added his warning, about somebody purporting on the phone to be from Bank of Ireland, 'very convincing', he says. Another reader asks me to remind that these scam callers offer names and 'identification' details. Always best to say you'll call back through the HQ organisation. Bottom line, there's a lot of it about.
