More than three quarters of people who were scammed by fake texts or calls last year are aged between 20 and 50.
Gardaí say they received 3,500 reports of phishing or smishing in 2021, up from about 500 in the previous year.
This scam usually involves a person sending a text, claiming to be from a bank, with a fake link designed to copy card details.
Detective Chief Inspector Pat Lordan says it's often expected older people would fall for these cons but that's not the case:
"We thought the same, but actually it's coming to us now that actually younger people are becoming more susceptible to this because they're clicking the link very, very quickly.
"They live online. Everything is online.
"And they believe everything they see online. And I know, we hear a lot about fake news, but this is fake news by the criminals. In other words, 'you've won a prize, you're getting the best deal' and people are falling for it."
