Criminals are adding “money mule” accounts as payees to customer accounts, while pretending to be part of the bank’s fraud team.

The bank is reminding customers that it will never ask for banking login details, passcodes, or PINs through text messages or phone calls.

Recently, AIB reported that scammers have been using advanced technology to insert fake messages into legitimate text threads. These fraudulent messages often contain links to fake websites or phone numbers that direct victims to fraudulent call centers.

One example shared by AIB involved a customer named Sarah. After receiving a text claiming a direct debit had been set up on her account, Sarah was alarmed and called the phone number provided in the message.

The call was answered by a man named “Mark,” who claimed to work for AIB’s fraud team. He offered to help Sarah cancel the direct debit and stop fraudulent transactions. Grateful for the assistance, Sarah provided Mark with her banking login and personal details, unaware he was a fraudster. Mark advised her not to log into her mobile or online banking during the process.

While on the call, Mark used Sarah’s information to add several fraudulent payees to her account and transferred funds, effectively draining her account.

AIB highlighted Sarah’s story as an example of how fraudsters exploit fear and urgency to deceive customers.

Mary McHale, AIB’s Head of Financial Crime, stated, “Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we’ve seen a rise in these types of scams recently. AIB will never ask customers to log into a website or call a number provided in a text message. We urge customers to end any conversation where someone claiming to be from the bank requests security information such as codes, passwords, or even face images.”

She added, “Fraud can be highly distressing, especially when it involves large sums of money. Scammers invest time and effort to gain the trust of their victims, even conducting lengthy phone conversations or making multiple follow-up calls over several days.”

McHale assured that AIB treats fraud victims with sympathy and handles each case individually.