NCA scams warning
9 September 2009
The NCA has issued a warning that members of the public have been receiving correspondence falsely claiming to be from Money, Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and indicating that the recipient has been approved for a Government grant of €5,000.
The scammers indicate that candidates for the grant have been selected from lists of individuals on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (National Consumer Agency) database.
A "cheque" for €1,460 is included in the correspondence to cover "taxes and administrative fee" associated with the processing of the grant. Recipients are requested to telephone a contact number and complete a "Grant Release Form" which seeks various personal information.
John Shine, Director of Consumer Practices, NCA said, "This is a scam. There is no such grant scheme in operation. Under no circumstances should members of the public provide any information on foot of such correspondence."
Anyone who receives this communication is asked to contact the Garda Fraud Bureau on (01) 6663741 or make contact with your local Garda station.