Ireland’s Department of Finance warns of phone scam offering €2,000 refund

13 Dec 2012

Ireland’s Department of Finance has said it is not behind phone calls to people telling them they may receive a refund up to €2,000.

The fraudulent phone calls that purport to come from the Department of Finance seek personal information from taxpayers in connection with a refund of up to €2,000.

The caller tells the recipient they are due a €2,000 refund but will need to deposit €250 in lieu of tax into a bank account to receive the refund.

The caller also asks the recipient to submit personal details, including date of birth and bank account details.

The Department of Finance said it never contacts members of the public in relation to payments or refunds, and that anyone who provided banking information in response to these calls should contact their bank or credit card company immediately.

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com