Gardaí have issued a warning after a number of people got text messages claiming to be from Permanent TSB advising of unusual online activity.
The messages contain a link which brings customers to a cloned website of the bank and asks for pins and passcodes.
Gardaí said the cloned website asks for more information than what the bank would normally seek from its customers.
The public is being advised to be wary of these texts and contact their bank directly if they have suspicions about any messages they receive.
Permanent TSB said it was aware of a new “smishing” trend, with customers receiving messages containing links such as www.secure-open24.com, www.pstb-open24ie.com and www.ptsbusiness.com which lead targeted customers to a website where they are asked to divulge their banking credentials.
Some customers are also receiving follow-up calls purporting to be from Permanent TSB requesting them to provide a one time passcode which criminals then use to remove funds from the account.
Permanent TSB said it would never provide website links when communicating with customers. The bank also advised that customers keep a record of all websites and links in order to avoid falling victim of phishing sites.
