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FraudSMART advice in response to Fota Wildlife Park Cyberattack

Thursday 29th August 2024 – We have been made aware that Fota Wildlife Park have confirmed they have been affected by a cyberattack that may have granted hackers access to card information, email addresses, usernames and passwords and are recommending if customers 

have carried out a transaction on their website between the dates of 12 May 2024 and 27 August 2024, they cancel their cards as there is a risk of compromise. Read this article on the recent cyber attack.

We recommend that impacted customers take the following actions:

  1. Freeze your bank card immediately using your mobile banking app if you have any concerns.
  2. Check your bank accounts for any suspicious activity.
  3. Contact your bank immediately if you see a suspicious transaction or want to discuss any concerns, using the number on the back of your bank card.
  4. Talk to your bank about cancelling your card(s) if there is a risk to compromise. You can also cancel your cards on your mobile app if you need to do so.

Be alert for fake calls, texts or emails claiming to be from your bank or other service providers

It is important to note that fraudsters may piggyback on this cyberattack, using it as a ‘story’ to make fake calls, text messages or emails to members of the public. They may claim to be from your bank or other service provider, requesting personal and bank details.

  • Be extremely cautious with any unsolicited calls texts or emails you receive.
  • Fraudsters may already have basic information about you such as your address, date of birth, email address, last four digits of your bank card etc. – do not assume a contact is genuine just because they have these details.
  • Your bank will never ask you for your debit/credit card PIN number or full online banking password.
  • If in doubt take the name of who’s calling you and where they are calling from, hang up and call the company back using the number from the official company website or, if its your bank using the number on the back of your credit/debit card.
  • Never click on a link or attachment in an email unless you have verified it is from a trusted source.
  • Never click on a link in a text message.

Help keep your family and friends safe this summer

Anyone can be target to this type of scam and new types of scams and frauds are continuously emerging that are increasingly more complex and convincing. Share this alert with your family and friends so that they too can stay safe and encourage them to sign up for the FraudSMART fraud alerts which we issue when a new scam is in circulation.