Gardaí have issued a warning about a scam targeting international students in Ireland, with fraudsters posing as members of the force in an attempt to obtain personal and financial information.
The scam has been reported in Cork, where criminals are contacting students and falsely claiming to be carrying out immigration checks.
According to Gardaí, the callers then attempt to convince victims to hand over sensitive information including email addresses, bank account details and MyGovID credentials.
Authorities believe international students are being specifically targeted because they may be unfamiliar with how Ireland's policing and immigration systems operate.
Gardaí warned that once scammers obtain personal information, they can use it to access bank accounts, government services and other sensitive records.
In many cases, stolen funds are transferred overseas or converted into cryptocurrency, making recovery extremely difficult.
A Garda spokesperson said: "We are aware of scam phone calls targeting international students in Ireland where scammers are impersonating members of An Garda Síochána to try and obtain personal information from victims."
The spokesperson added: "During these phone calls, scammers may claim that they are doing an immigration check and need your e-mail, banking information and MyGovID details."
Gardaí stressed that officers will never make unsolicited calls requesting banking information, PPS numbers or other sensitive personal details.
Students who receive suspicious calls are being advised not to provide any information and to ask the caller for their credentials and the name of the Garda station they are allegedly calling from.
Anyone wishing to verify the legitimacy of a call should independently contact the station using the phone number listed on the official Garda website rather than any number supplied by the caller.
The warning also extends to emails and text messages linked to the scam.
"Do not provide any information to anyone over the phone. Do not click on suspicious links in your e-mail inbox, and do not provide scammers with any reset codes to your bank or government account," the Garda spokesperson said.
Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to the scam is being urged to contact Gardaí immediately. Reports can be made by phone or in person at any Garda station.
The latest warning comes as authorities continue to urge the public to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, particularly those designed to exploit people who may be unfamiliar with Irish institutions and official procedures.
