'Horrible people' - Urgent scam warning issued as fraudsters prey in wake of Storm Eowyn

Gardaí and ESB Networks has warned customers of a phishing scam doing the rounds in the wake of Storm Eowyn.

As the country continues to clean up the aftermath of last weekend's severe weather, fraudsters have been busy targeting ESB customers as people around the country anxiously wait for their power to be restored. 

Taking to social media to issue the warning, gardaí said: "We have been informed of a phishing scam doing the rounds by text message and phone calls purporting to be from E.S.B. and offering rebates due to outages caused by Storm Éowyn. 

"Do not engage with such messages or share any personal or banking information or without independently verifying the sources of any calls or text messages. 

"Gardaí recommend blocking these messages and not interacting with them otherwise," the post concluded. 

In a separate statement, ESB Networks also warned customers of the ongoing scam. 

"We have also been made aware of scam text messages purporting to come from ESB Networks. We ask that customers do not engage directly, do not share any personal information if asked, and block and report the suspicious number if necessary," a spokesperson said. 

READ MORE | PICTURES: Ireland's top sportswomen, partners and families step out in style to awards night

An Garda Síochána is reminding the public to always be wary of texts from unknown senders, and unusual requests that can even appear in the thread of previous genuine texts.

• Never ever click on links in a text
• Never ring a number contained in a text
• Never ever give away your personal data (e.g., bank details, PIN numbers, passwords, one time codes, PPS number, Eircode, etc)
• Do not transfer any money
• If the caller purports to be a son or daughter seeking money, hang up and try and make contact with your child or their friends
• Be wary of cold calls – always ask the caller their name and for their phone number. If you have any concerns just hang up and ring your bank/service provider using the number on your bill/statement – just because it looks like an Irish number doesn’t mean it is
• Never download any Apps that give fraudsters control of your device
• If you are offered a job in a cold call, be suspicious and ask yourself why me? and why does my new employer need access to my bank account?
• If you have been a victim, change your passwords and PIN codes, report it to your bank ASAP and ask them to do a recall.