Police issue warning after NI woman loses thousands in sophisticated banking scam
- Love Ballymena
- Aug 9
- 2 min read
Police are urging people across Northern Ireland to remain vigilant after a sophisticated bank scam in Newtownards left a victim thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Local Chief Inspector for Ards and North Down, Keith Hutchinson, confirmed that officers received a report on Tuesday, 5 August, from a business account holder who had been contacted by two separate banks.
“Both banks advised that there had been fraudulent activity on the victim’s banking accounts and that a significant amount of money in each had been taken,” Chief Inspector Hutchinson said.
Police enquiries revealed the suspected hacker was not based in Northern Ireland. The case has now been referred to Action Fraud for further investigation.
With criminals deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics — from phishing emails and scam phone calls to fake text messages — police say spotting the warning signs is becoming harder.
Chief Inspector Hutchinson stressed:
“We will continue to remind the public to never share their banking passwords, PINs, or one-time verification codes to anyone, even if they claim to be from your bank.
“Victims are often contacted unexpectedly and pressured into providing sensitive information or transferring money, so please be on your guard at all times. Protecting your personal banking details is essential.”
PSNI’s Scam Safety Advice – Stop. Check. Report.
Police are urging the public to follow three key steps to help avoid becoming a victim:
Stop – Never rush into transferring money or giving personal details. Genuine callers will allow you time to consider.
Check – Always verify who you’re dealing with via a trusted source, ideally on a separate phone line. Use reverse image searches where applicable.
Report – If you’ve been targeted, contact police via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport or call 101. Also notify your bank immediately and report to Action Fraud via www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726.
Further scam prevention advice is available at nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or on the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni.
Chief Inspector Hutchinson concluded:
“The best way to fight scams and not lose money is to Stop. Check. Report. By following these simple rules, you could avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime.”
