Scam calls are now mimicking Irish mobile numbers, in the hopes that people will call them back.
There has been an increasing number of scam phone calls to people in recent months - whether they are pretending to be from the Department of Social Protection, Revenue or even the Attorney-General's office.
Previous attempts have sometimes seen calls coming from places overseas, but now scammers are mimicking Irish numbers.
Consumer journalist Siobhán Maguire told The Hard Shoulder this is adding to the confusion.
"I've gotten into the habit now of just trying to block any number I don't recognise.
"And I'm very sorry if anyone's trying to contact me and it's not actually a scam number.
"But we just can't seem to get rid of them or shake them at the moment.
"The problem is that they're mimicking our own mobile numbers: so we're getting 085 numbers, 087 numbers.
"If you don't answer you might call back, if you call back you face the risk of calling up a premium line.
"If you do answer you get silence, and that kind of peaks your interest - and also makes you think 'Should I call back?' - it is relentless."
'Neighbour spoofing'
Siobhán says this is all an intentional ploy.
"What's happening is what's called a neighbour spoofing: this is number spoofing, where numbers are cloned by scammers.
"So they will take numbers that look familiar to us - if you're in Kilkenny, they'll take Kilkenny numbers and they'll clone them.
"So it looks like you're getting a call from a neighbour, when in fact you're actually not, you're getting a call from a scammer.
"Or what they're doing now with mobile numbers... is the neighbour spoofing, which is where I'm getting calls from numbers that look identical to my own - save for two or three different digits."
And she says scammers will adapt to circumstances.
"Scammers are seasonal artists, so what they're going to do is start working around whatever we're doing.
"So the likes of say shopping online, which loads of us have been doing, we're getting more and more of these scam texts purporting to be from courier companies.
"Just don't click on any links, don't share any personal information and be on your guard.
"If you don't recognise the number you don't have to answer it.
"If they really want you, if it's someone who really wants to get hold of you, they will leave a message."
While one way to minimise risk is to 'not trust, but verify' - in other words, never call the number back directly.
If you are told the call is coming from your bank, for example, call your bank back on its official number.
Do not call the number back that has called you.
