Service provider 'eir' has confirmed that an email circulating over the last number of day is indeed a scam. Many people have reported receiving emails claiming to be from the company. 

This email landed in my inbox this morning and it would appear that I'm not the only one. 

eir has confirmed this is a scam email and published a statement saying

"It has come to our attention that a fraudulent eir billing email is in circulation at moment. This mail specifically advises of refund. Please note that the correct secure URL address for My eir will always being with HTTPS and the link below can be used if you are unsure. Also, please do not click on any links in an email you are unsure of and please report the email as spam to your mail provider by clicking on "mark as spam" within the email."

Many things about this email caused alarm bells to ring for me, not least because I'm not actually an eir customer. 

There are ways to identify a scam. Some things to look out for are:

• Urgency: If the email states urgent action is required to verify your details or process a refund, do not act. Chances are it’s a phishing expedition.

• Company info: Many of these phishing attempts involve criminals posing as a well known company or bank. Always check the sender’s email address. Look at any logos within the email and hover your mouse over any link within the email (don’t click on it); this may show a falsified website. If it doesn’t look legit, bin it.

• Spelling: Watch out for appalling typos or sentences that just don’t make sense. We often scan emails rather than reading them fully so if you are suspicious, take a moment or two to read the entire email. If you spot something that dodgey, bin it.

• Verify: If you are still unsure about the legitimacy of an email, call the provider and explain your situation. This may take a few minutes out of your day, but it’s better than losing money to a phishing scam.