Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 October 2022
12. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice if her Department will undertake a comprehensive review of economic crime, financial fraud and scamming given the increased prevalence of economic crime arising online and through digital technology and its growing threat to consumers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46289/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe continued increase in incidents of fraud is concerning. As highlighted in the most recent CSO crime statistics, most of the fraudulent activity recorded relates to attempts to obtain people’s personal or banking information.
Every person in Ireland deserves to feel safe and to be safe when they conduct their personal business online or over the phone, and so the practice of trying to trick people out of their personal information or hard-earned money is truly disgusting and will not be tolerated.I urge anyone conducting sensitive or personal business online or over the phone to be very cautious when providing personal or banking information. Many of the financial institutions have excellent advice for customers on how to be safe online, as does the Citizens’ Information website.
The Deputy may be aware that October is European Cyber Security Month so I very much welcome the opportunity to further highlight this issue. This initiative aims to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats and to promote cybersecurity awareness and prevention, as this is by far the most effective way to combat this crime which often preys on the vulnerable.
Combatting and preventing fraud and related cybercrime falls under the remit of several Departments and agencies. I can assure the Deputy that there is close cooperation across the whole of Government on this issue and earlier this month I launched the awareness campaign in conjunction with my colleague Ossian Smyth, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and An Garda Síochána.
This year’s campaign focuses on the twin themes of phishing and ransomware, urging vigilance and outlining their potential impacts on the everyday lives of Irish citizens and businesses. The campaign is being jointly promoted by the NCSC and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB).
Over the course of Cyber Security Month, which runs throughout October, the NCSC has been raising awareness on phishing and ransomware across online and traditional channels. This is taking place alongside work by the GNCCB; both bodies are engaging with target audiences — for example the elderly and SME businesses — to highlight the risks involved and the steps that can be taken against both phishing and ransomware attacks.
Phishing emails, used by attackers to lure people into disclosing personal details or clicking on malicious links, are used by cyber-criminals to gain unauthorised access to a computer or network. Hackers continue to design smarter and more sophisticated phishing emails, in the hope of gaining people’s trust and pressuring them into acting without thinking.
Throughout October a key focus will be on informing the public, in particular the elderly, on how to avoid becoming a victim of email phishing, how to spot the tell-tale signs of these types of emails and what to do if a person has fallen victim to an e-mail phishing attack.
I can assure the Deputy that these crimes are not taken lightly by this Government, or by Gardaí, and I reiterate our commitment to tackling this form of crime, which particularly targets the vulnerable.
If anyone suspects that they have been the victim of a cyber crime or fraud, I would encourage them to contact Gardaí to report this at the earliest possible time. I assure people that members of An Garda Síochána will be best placed to advise them.
