Gardaí in Donegal are warning the public about a surge in phone scams targeting Revolut users. The scams involve fraudsters impersonating Revolut staff, claiming to have detected suspicious activity on accounts and requesting personal verification details.
According to Garda Grainne Doherty, the scammers often begin by reciting the initial digits of a Revolut card number, creating a false sense of legitimacy before requesting the remaining digits. They employ manipulative tactics, creating a sense of urgency or panic to pressure individuals into divulging sensitive information. “Revolut will never initiate contact out of the blue,” Doherty emphasized. “Genuine support interactions occur exclusively through the in-app chat feature, and any scheduled calls are confirmed in advance. They will never request payments or solicit verification codes, PINs, passwords, or security details over the phone.”
The warning comes as reports of similar scams targeting Revolut users have increased across Ireland. Gardaí in Cork have also issued alerts regarding the use of “spoofed numbers” – altered caller IDs designed to mimic trusted sources like banks and government agencies – in these scams. Fraudsters are using these spoofed numbers to pretend to be calling from Revolut, alleging suspicious activity and attempting to obtain personal account details or trick victims into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.
Revolut is reportedly sending up to 80 suspicious activity reports a day to An Garda Síochána, according to the neobank’s country manager for Ireland, indicating the scale of the problem. Gardaí advise anyone who receives an unsolicited call claiming to be from Revolut to hang up immediately and report the incident through the Revolut app.
If individuals believe they have been targeted, Gardaí recommend ceasing all communication with the scammer, immediately securing their Revolut account, freezing their Revolut card within the app, reporting the fraudulent transaction directly through the Revolut app, and contacting Revolut Support via the in-app chat for assistance. Reporting the incident to the Gardaí is also crucial.
Authorities have noted that elderly and vulnerable individuals are particularly at risk of these scams and are urging the public to spread awareness to help protect those who may be more susceptible. Gardaí have also issued recent warnings about separate scams where fraudsters impersonate Gardaí themselves, even using the An Garda Síochána crest as their WhatsApp profile picture, to solicit personal information.
