Chinese Smishing Gang Targets Ireland and Four Other EU Countries

• •Ireland is among five EU countries targeted by the Chinese Smishing Triad group.
• •Smishing involves fraudulent texts impersonating legitimate entities to steal sensitive information.
• •Ireland ranks 11th in the EU for ransomware claims, highlighting a significant cyber threat landscape.

Ireland is identified as one of five EU countries targeted by the Chinese text-scam group known as Smishing Triad, as reported by the EU cyber security agency Enisa. This group conducts large-scale smishing operations, which involve sending fraudulent text messages that impersonate legitimate organizations to steal personal and financial information. Enisa's Threat Landscape 2026 report highlights that cybercrime is a significant threat across the EU, with ransomware accounting for nearly half of all financially motivated cyber events. Smishing Triad is noted to send approximately 100,000 smishing texts daily and has reportedly generated $1 billion in scams over the past three years. Ireland ranks 11th among EU member states for ransomware claims, with the report indicating that Russian and Chinese groups are the most active in state-linked cyber incidents. The report also emphasizes the ongoing threat posed by ransomware operators, including those targeting Ireland.