Warning: broadband scam is targeting older residents

Broadband in rural areas on a good day is slow, ineffective and all but useless, making residents relying on it for security, independent living and contact ready to believe it could go completely. Their need is now being targeted by a sophisticated scam – and we all need to act to halt it.

Those are the words of Cllr Una D’Arcy, who has expressed her concern in a statement released this week.

“It is convincing,” she said. “It is targeting older members of our community and they are frightened that if they do not co-operate they will lose their vital broadband service.”

Cllr Una D’Arcy was canvassing in Castlepollard, Fore and Delvin last week and discovered a number of older members of the community had become the targets for a sophisticated phone scam.

They are called and told there is an issue and that the telecoms provider eir needs to have remote access to the computer in the home.

“They are 90 per cent wary that it is a scam and 10 percent worried that it is not,” she said.

“They rely on their broadband for alarms for their home, safety alarms for their person and as a way to contact friends and family.

“For many older members of the community, broadband has given the opportunity, through the internet of things, for people to secure independent, dignified safe living – so the idea that it might go down or disappear is a frightening prospect.

“My friend’s mother was targeted. She described it as convincing.

“The first call was a recorded message, indicating that someone from eir would be calling.

“Then the second call is a person,” said Cllr D’Arcy.

“They explain there is a broadband issue that they are trying to address. Then they call back again – that is why people start to trust it.

“I have reported this to the gardaí and directly to eir, and I hope to get advice on how best to help people being targeted.

“But this is happening right now, so as a matter of urgency, people need to speak to their families, friends, and especially older members of the community, to make sure they have not become targets – and if they have engaged with the scam, that you intervene for them and stop the process of the scam.

"The gardaí have issued a warning to people that many have already been swindled out of thousands of euro in this major broadband scam.

“But if you have an elderly neighbour, living alone, perhaps they have no one to ask about this.

“So raise the issue with them. Ask them, ‘has someone called you and said they were working for eir and told you that your broadband was going to be cut off unless they were given remote access to their computers? That is a scam – hang up’.

"These fraudsters have stolen passwords and money from the customers’ bank accounts after receiving access.

“Let older people know that eir doesn’t usually ring individual homes or businesses when there’s an issue.

“If you have received a suspicious call, hang up, and phone the company the person is saying they are from.

“Do not use a number given to you by the caller and make sure you hear a dial tone before making the call.”

“And also – If you are concerned that you may have fallen victim to a scam, contact your local garda station and your bank, straight away.

“Don’t feel foolish – this is an industry with sophisticated software and con artists running it.

“This is convincing and the gardaí will take this seriously.”