Ireland (IE)
Ireland is a parliamentary republic and island nation on the western edge of Europe — the only English-speaking country in the Eurozone — celebrated for its warmly welcoming culture and legendary pub life, dramatic Wild Atlantic Way coastline and emerald green rolling countryside, a remarkable literary tradition from Joyce to Beckett, and its role as the European headquarters for the world's leading technology companies including Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and LinkedIn.
Scam Warnings
Common scams targeting expats in Ireland.
Ireland has seen a significant and sustained increase in fraud and scam activity. Three golden rules: (1) Revenue (revenue.ie) will NEVER contact you by unsolicited SMS or email asking for banking details, card numbers, or personal data — all genuine Revenue communications arrive by post or through your myAccount on revenue.ie. (2) Ireland's housing crisis makes desperate renters acutely vulnerable to rental fraud — never pay any deposit or money before physically viewing a property. (3) An Post and your bank will never send you a text message with a link to log in or to pay a fee. Ireland is in the EU SEPA zone and the 14-day cooling-off right applies to all distance and off-premises contracts under SI 484/2013 (implementing EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU).
Revenue Tax Authority Phishing Emails and SMS
criticalFraudulent emails and SMS messages claiming to be from Revenue Commissioners (revenue.ie) and offering a tax refund, or threatening an audit. Messages include a link to a fake Revenue website designed to capture your banking details, PPS number, card information, and myAccount credentials. These scams are highly convincing and target PAYE workers especially in the autumn and early spring when genuine tax refunds are processed. Revenue communicates with customers via secure MyEnquiries — never by unsolicited email or SMS with payment links.
- - Revenue never contacts you by unsolicited email or SMS requesting banking details, card numbers, or personal data
- - Official Revenue communications come by post or through your myAccount at revenue.ie
- - Genuine Revenue emails come only from @revenue.ie — any other sender domain is fraudulent
- - Any link to a website that is not revenue.ie itself is fraudulent
- - Urgent language ("refund expires in 24 hours", "immediate action required") is a scam indicator
Rental Scams on Daft.ie and Facebook
criticalIreland's severe housing crisis has made rental scams unusually frequent and devastating. Fraudsters post fake listings on Daft.ie, Facebook Marketplace, and rental Facebook groups — often using real photos stolen from legitimate listings. Properties are typically priced slightly below market to attract desperate renters. The 'landlord' claims to be abroad (missionary work, US military deployment, overseas job) and requests a deposit via wire transfer, Western Union, cryptocurrency, or gift cards before any viewing. Once the money is sent, the scammer disappears. Average rooms in Dublin were €876–€1,005 as of end-2025, making any lower-priced listing suspicious.
- - Landlord claims to be abroad and cannot arrange a viewing in person
- - Requests any payment before an in-person viewing has taken place
- - Asks for payment via wire transfer, Western Union, cryptocurrency, or gift cards
- - Rent significantly below current market rate for the area and property type
- - Property photos appear on multiple listings or reverse image search shows them on different sites
- - Communication exclusively via email or WhatsApp, refuses phone calls
- - Emotional narrative: desperately seeking a good tenant, doing charity work abroad, children involved
Department of Social Protection and MyWelfare Phishing SMS
criticalFraudulent SMS messages claiming to be from the Department of Social Protection (DSP), MyWelfare, or related government welfare services, asking recipients to click a link to update details, confirm identity, or claim an overdue payment. The link captures PPS numbers, bank details, and personal information. The DSP communicates by post and through mywelfare.ie only — it never texts you with links.
- - DSP never texts you with links to update personal or banking details
- - Official DSP communications come by post to your registered address
- - Any SMS with a government link should be verified by navigating directly to the official site yourself
- - The URL in the link will not be welfare.ie, gov.ie, or mywelfare.ie
Garda / Police Impersonation Scam
criticalScammers phone claiming to be from An Garda Síochána or sometimes Europol or Interpol, informing the victim that their bank account has been compromised and they must transfer funds to a 'secure account' to protect them. Alternatively, they claim there is a warrant for the victim's arrest which can be resolved by an immediate payment. The Gardaí will NEVER ask you to transfer money or pay to avoid arrest over the phone.
- - An Garda Síochána never asks you to transfer money or make payment over the phone
- - Gardaí never use automated voice messages or recordings to inform you of criminal activity
- - Real Garda calls about emergencies always involve a local station you can independently verify
- - The caller creates extreme urgency, panic, and insists you must not contact your bank or family
- - Europol and Interpol do not contact members of the public directly about individual accounts
Investment and Cryptocurrency Fraud
criticalSophisticated investment fraud operations via fake brokerage platforms, fake cryptocurrency exchange sites, and social media investment groups. Initial small "investments" show enormous returns on screen, encouraging larger deposits. When victims try to withdraw, the platform demands additional taxes, fees, or identification — designed to extract more money before the victim realises. Losses frequently reach €10,000–€100,000 or more. The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) maintains a register of authorised firms — any firm not on it is illegal to operate in Ireland.
- - Promised returns are unrealistically high (10–50% guaranteed)
- - Platform is not on the CBI authorised firms register at registers.centralbank.ie
- - Initial contact via Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, or LinkedIn from someone you do not know
- - Pressure to invest quickly before an opportunity closes
- - Requests to install remote access software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) for "account support"
- - Cannot easily withdraw funds — new fees or conditions appear every time you try
An Post Parcel and Bank Phishing SMS
warningFraudulent texts claiming to be from An Post ("Colis en attente — frais de livraison €1.99 à régler") or from Bank of Ireland, AIB, Revolut, or other financial institutions. These typically claim your account has been suspended, a suspicious transaction requires verification, or a parcel cannot be delivered and requires a small fee. All links lead to convincing fake websites that capture login credentials, card details, and personal data.
- - An Post will never request payment via a link in an SMS — this is always a scam
- - Your bank will never send a text message with a link asking you to log in
- - Banks will never ask for your full PIN, password, or one-time codes via text
- - Check the URL in any link very carefully — fraudulent domains look similar but are not identical to the real site
- - Any SMS with urgency about a parcel fee of approximately €1.99 is a scam
Romance Scams
warningLong-term deception via dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge) or social media where the scammer builds a romantic relationship over weeks or months before requesting money. Common pretexts: medical emergency while working abroad, stuck after robbery, investment opportunity. Common cover stories include oil rig workers, military deployment, and international surgeons. The extended emotional investment makes victims reluctant to accept the deception.
- - Person claims to be working abroad on an oil rig, deployed military, or at an international medical posting
- - Relationship develops very quickly; deep love expressed within days or weeks
- - Consistently avoids live video calls or uses a static pre-recorded clip
- - Photos reverse-image-search to other profiles or stock photography
- - Requests money "just this once" for an emergency, then again
Utility Switching and Cold Call Scams
warningCold callers posing as representatives of energy providers, broadband companies, or comparison sites claim your contract has ended and offer a "special deal" — capturing banking details under the pretence of processing a switch. Real utility companies do not cold-call requesting banking details. Common energy providers targeted: Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy, SSE Airtricity.
- - Unsolicited call claiming urgent action is needed on your account
- - Caller asks for your banking details, IBAN, or debit card number over the phone
- - Offer available only "right now" — extreme pressure tactics
- - Company name is similar to but not the same as a genuine provider
Reporting
Where to report: An Garda Síochána National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB): garda.ie/en/about-us/organised-serious-crime/garda-national-cyber-crime-bureau-gnccb-. Report online crime at garda.ie or at your local Garda station. Central Bank of Ireland for financial fraud: centralbank.ie. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): ncsc.gov.ie. Report Revenue phishing to webmaster@revenue.ie. Forward suspicious SMS to 7726 (free, all networks).
Consumer helpline: CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission): 01 402 5555 (Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00) or ccpc.ie. Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO): fspo.ie — for disputes with financial service providers. Central Bank of Ireland: centralbank.ie. Revenue fraud reporting: webmaster@revenue.ie. Hotline.ie for illegal content: hotline.ie.