UNDERWORLD fraudsters are using random number generators to tap into the bank accounts of Irish customers.

For the first time ever account holders have been left almost powerless to protect their bank accounts from conmen.

The Irish Sunday Mirror has spoken to a number of people whose accounts have been hacked by the criminals using the sophisticated scam.

The gangs generate the numbers of accounts using random trawling techniques and then attempt to buy goods online without having to use the cardholder's name or address.

A spokesman for AIB bank said they were aware of the scam and had been forced to contact a number of customers hit by the scam.

One customer who had EUR400 taken from his account was contacted by the bank about unusual activity on his account.

He was told by an AIB official: "It looks like someone has used a computer random number generator to discover your number. We are seeing quite a lot of this at the moment.

"The transaction was flagged as suspicious because they were unable to give your name or the proper address."

The fraudsters use computer software to lock into the BIN numbers of various banks which are the initial numbers on people's account numbers.

They then register other numbers in the hope of cracking account numbers.

The hackers have broken into numerous Irish account holders and bought thousands of euro of goods including jewellery, entertainment equipment and pornography.

An AIB spokesman told us" "It's not just us - these people are tapping into all the banks across Ireland."

Last night Una Dillon, Head of Card Services with the Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO) said she was aware of the fraud.

"It does happen and these people have all sorts of ways of getting someone's bank account details but these are random targets.

"We tell retailers they must be aware of people's names addresses and car numbers if they are taking a transaction online.

"If they are suspicious then they should refuse the transaction. If they do not follow the guidelines then they are liable for the loss," she said.

Despite the new random bank trawling by criminals, 'Phishing' is still the most common form of bank account theft on the internet in Ireland.

The scam involves gangs posing as people's legitimate bank and sending them what appear to be the bank's email requesting them to change their security codes to upgrade their system.

"This is still the most common form of attempt on-line theft in Ireland still.

"These criminals are getting more and more advanced and it's amazing how intelligent people who are simply rushing around will answer the e-mail and give away vital information."

If anybody is unsure about illegal activity on their bank account they should contact their bank or log onto www.safecard.ie.

(c) 2008 Sunday Mirror; London. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Story Source: Sunday Mirror; London