The Department of Social Protection has issued a warning about what it is describing as a ‘sophisticated scam.’
Members of the public have received phone calls on their mobile phones purporting to be from a named official of the Department.
The person is then informed that their PPS number is compromised and they are asked to provide or verify their name, PPS number and in some cases, Bank Account details.
The department is urging people not to engage with the callers, not to return calls to these numbers and not to share any personal information with the callers.
People who are managing social welfare applications online are also reminded to ensure that they are using official Departmental websites.
The Department says it NEVER request Bank account or other Financial institution account details by phone or SMS.
