Gardaí have been made aware of a scam in which emails and texts are being circulated under the branding of various courier companies, requesting recipients pay additional costs for customs before their parcel can be delivered.
With shoppers moving online due to the closure of physical retrain shops due to Covid-19 restrictions and the current confusion regarding post-Brexit custom fees for items coming from the UK, Gardaí say many people have received unsolicited correspondence, some even in Irish.
Gardaí are urging anyone who receives such a text or email not give their payment details, but to take a screenshot of the correspondence, before deleting it. Anyone who feels they have been a victim of fraud should contact their local Garda Station.
Gardaí advise online shoppers to independently verify the status of their package with the relevant postal service or courier first and to never click on links or open attachments in an unsolicited text or email.
People should not reply to these messages and never provide payment details, or give away personal information such as their PIN, card numbers or passwords.
Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau says people should be careful when shopping online, making sure they are using a legitimate website with trust seals.
