Criminals then tried to transfer €11,000 from our reader’s bank account - and almost succeeded
A reader lost control of his devices – and, in some respects, his life – after an apparent breach of the security systems put in place by his phone provider, with the hack leaving the company mystified and prompting it to alert
“Once they had gained the confidence of the Vodafone customer support agent they were able to change my phone plan , the email address associated with my account and, most importantly, they were able to convert my account to an eSIM . The criminals, he subsequently found out, “sent an email to , which they could ascertain from previous email correspondence, instructing it to transfer €11,000″ from his account to a account. He says he has access to a dedicated “private banking” set-up which facilitates such transfers.
He says he was told by Vodafone that all that is required over the phone to confirm a client’s identity “is confirmation of their name, address and date of birth”. We contacted Vodafone and days later a detailed explanation was sent to Mitch, which he forwarded to us. He was told that “an action to complete a My Vodafone account password reset is typically completed by the customer themselves and also includes an OTP code sent from the platform, typically without requirement to call a Care agent for support. This individual however did call our Care teams and had been successful in manipulating our agent into believing there were issues receiving these OTP codes. This resulted in the agent supporting with this task manually.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Romance scams: 'Fraudsters are very good at coercive control'After a French woman was duped out of €830,000 by scammers posing as Brad Pitt, a romance scam expert is encouraging the public to look beyond the headlines.
Read more »
Surge in Online Fraud Targets Financial Institutions and IndividualsFinancial institutions are experiencing a sharp increase in suspected online fraud, with criminals exploiting greed and FOMO to lure victims into scams. Paul Dwyer, CEO of Cyber Risk International, warns that sophisticated operations target individuals through cryptocurrency schemes and compromised IoT devices. He emphasizes that no one is immune to these tactics and urges caution online.
Read more »
The Crow: City of AngelsWhen a motorcycle mechanic and his son witness a murder, they are brutally killed. The mechanic, Ashe, is resurrected by a crow and seeks vengeance against his killers, aided by a tattoo expert named Sarah. Together, they confront the evil criminals Curve and Kali.
Read more »
Kinahan Cartel Boss Faces Downfall as Ireland Secures Extradition Treaty with DubaiDaniel Kinahan, a notorious cartel boss, is facing increasing pressure from Irish authorities and international partners. After years of operating from Dubai, a safe haven for Irish criminals due to a lack of extradition agreement, Ireland has secured a deal with the UAE, paving the way for Kinahan's potential return to face justice.
Read more »
Ireland Enacts New Hate Crime Law with Increased Prison SentencesCriminals in Ireland can now face harsher prison sentences if their crimes are motivated by hate, targeting a person's race, identity, or sexual orientation. The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024, signed into law by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, aims to protect vulnerable communities and sends a strong message against hate-motivated attacks.
Read more »
Top 10 Smartphones and Best Camera Phone of 2024 in IrelandA review of the top 10 non-folding smartphones released in Ireland in 2024, including the best overall camera phone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and a comparison of features like battery life, design, and AI capabilities.
Read more »