Donegal Gardaí alert consumers and businesses to the growing threat of online scams during the busy Christmas shopping period, urging everyone to stay vigilant.
“Never give away your personal data; bank details, PIN numbers, passwords or PPS numbers,” Crime Prevention officer, Garda Sgt. Paul Wallace advises.
Businesses are warned to protect their sales and revenues by identifying risks. Sgt. Wallace suggests.
“They need to know their product, know their customers, utilise safe means of payment and use reliable delivery methods.”
The use of reputable money transfer platforms, such as PayPal, is recommended as they provide protection in relation to purchases.
‘Smishing’ & ’Phishing’ are terms used to describe the online activities of criminals who obtain personal information to create false identifications.
“Please report any unusual activity or suspicious transactions so that we can investigate. If it is not reported you are, in effect, assisting the criminal.
“At the end of the day your local high street retailers should always be considered and will value your custom.
“If an online offer seems too good to be true, it usually is,” said Sgt. Wallace.
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