GARDAÍ HAVE URGED the public to be vigilant after Irish numbers were targeted by scammers claiming that the intended victim had won a prize in the French lottery.

Gardaí in Fermoy, Cork, got a report this morning from a person who had been contacted by a male caller calling from a French phone number. The caller informed his intended victim that they had won €50,000 in a lottery and was looking for bank details to transfer the money.

Officers advised that ff you receive a call from an unrecognised number do not feel obliged to answer and that some of these calls come from premium rate numbers and “you’ll end up paying a small fortune”.

A garda spokesman said: “Often you’ll notice a missed call, made late at night deliberately while you’re probably asleep, from a number that looks like an Irish landline or mobile. Ignore and block.

“The Revenue are not in the habit of calling us to give a rebate, so don’t react to callers looking for bank details urgently. They’ll put pressure on victims to take urgent action, causing a bit of panic.

“Remember, your personal information is your property so be careful who you share it with. Easiest of all? Just hang up. Nobody is too smart to get caught out, so be alert and report suspicious activity.”