AIB has issued fresh fraud warnings after reporting a 59% surge in cases in July compared to previous months. The bank said recent fraud intelligence recorded a significant rise in convincing text messages and phone calls from criminals impersonating trusted organisations. Typically, customers receive a text message claiming to be from their bank or another trusted organisation such as a delivery company or Government agency. In other cases, customers are told that their account is compromised and they must move their funds to a so-called ‘safe account’. In some cases, customers have been advised to not tell legitimate staff the reason for their withdrawal or transfer.