Online Fraud

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau are warning the public about advance fee fraud- fake websites offering public loans online in an advance fee fraud. These sites target financially vulnerable people with poor credit history.

These criminals will be particularly active in the run into Christmas when the demand is high.

Through the websites the criminals will obtain contact details of the victim and offer them an unsecure loan. They will then seek payment in advance as an administration fee or 1st monthly instalment or both. It has happened where the 3rd and 4th instalments have been paid.

These instalments are demanded on the premise that the loan fund will be transferred to the account. Inevitably the loan never transfers, resulting in vulnerable people becoming a victim of fraud.

Warning

Often times the victim will have supplied extensive personal details and bank account information. This information is often used to commit other frauds.

A Red Flag to members of the public is that these websites offer victims loans without seeking confirmation of the identity, address or the person’s ability to repay the loan. The criminals will look for immediate action in terms of the payments of advance fees, so that the loan funds can be transferred.

The fraudsters inevitably are very convincing, the websites will often have Irish addresses and contact numbers. However AGS investigations have determined that the perpetrators are in fact operating from abroad.

Advice

Any person seeking credit should only do so from money lenders authorised by the central bank. Care should be taken around the type of google searches conducted as this can lead the victim(s) to these unauthorised sites.

Websites are continually monitored by the Central Bank of Ireland, working closely with An Garda Síochána. Therefore such sites are withdrawn on a continuous basis.