A missed call from a foreign number, a text from “your bank”, a WhatsApp from a new number claiming to be your son or daughter. Before you call back or reply, it’s worth a minute to check. The number alone rarely tells you much, because scammers change numbers constantly and can fake the one you see.
Caller ID can lie
Scammers can make a call or text appear to come from a real number, even your bank’s. Irish networks now block many of these spoofed calls, but not all of them. So a familiar number on your screen is not proof of who’s calling.
Signs it’s a scam
- They ask you to move money to a “safe account”, or to read out a code your bank just texted you. Your bank will never ask for either.
- A text with a link about a parcel, a toll, a fine or a tax refund, asking you to pay a small fee or enter card details.
- A missed call from an unfamiliar foreign code. Calling back can cost you money. If you don’t know anyone there, don’t ring back.
- “Hi Mum, this is my new number” followed by a request for money. Ring your child on their old number first.
- Pressure and secrecy: act now, don’t tell anyone, don’t hang up.
How to check it
- Don’t use the number or link they gave you. Hang up and ring the organisation on a number from your card, a bill or its official website.
- Paste the text into a scam checker. The wording, the link and the request usually give it away more reliably than the number.
- Search the number online. Other people often report the same calls, but a clean result doesn’t mean the call was genuine.
If you’ve already paid or shared details
Ring your bank immediately on the number on your card, and report it to your local Garda station. In the UK, you can forward scam texts free to 7726.
Check a text or call now, free
Paste the message, or describe the call, into the free Scam-Less checker. No account, and nothing you paste is kept.
Open the free scam checkerCommon questions
Can I check if a phone number is a scam for free?
Yes. Paste the text or describe the call in the free Scam-Less checker and you'll get an answer in seconds. The wording and what they ask for are usually better clues than the number itself.
Should I call back a missed call from a number I don't know?
Not if it's a foreign number you don't recognise. Some scams make money from the call itself. If it matters, the caller will leave a message or text.
My bank's real number called me. Is it safe?
Not necessarily: scammers can make their call show your bank's number. Hang up and ring your bank on the number on the back of your card.