New resource launched to highlight scam ads and texts

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has introduced a new online resource, the Scam Ads Info Hub, to combat increasingly complex and costly scam ads and texts. The initiative aims to increase public awareness and educate people on how to identify and report such scams. Speaking on Today with David McCullagh, ASA Chief Executive Orla Twomey stated that scammers are criminals and the ASA's role lies in raising public awareness, not in prosecuting or tracking down scamsters.

She advised that if an offer seems too good to be true, it likely is, and urged the public to stop, think, and check the accuracy of the information. The ASA collaborates with platforms that host these ads, but acknowledges that some may still slip through due to the scammers' evolving tactics. Ms Twomey also advised people to report any suspected scams to the platform, the ASA, or the gardaí, depending on the nature of the scam.

While the ASA cannot eliminate the scam industry entirely, any reduction in its pipeline would be beneficial to the public.