Clare Gardaí have reported further incidents of economic fraud in the past week and have renew their advice to the public.
Crime Prevention Officer for Clare, Sergeant Triona Brooks said: “One of these incidents was where a gentleman had placed a PlayStation for sale on Done Deal for €400. He was contacted by a buyer in Spain and requested to deposit €210 into a fake Paypal account in order to allow him to trade on-line – he has had no contact from the buyer since and he has not received any funds.
In the second incident a lady saw a property to rent on Daft – she agreed to rent it and began a What’s App conversation with the person purporting to be the landlord. She was requested to pay €1,742 into his account which she did. This advertisement has since been removed from Daft and she can’t contact the landlord.”
Sgt Brooks added: “Our advice to the public is..
Don’t be tricked into paying a deposit for a property that does not exist or has already been rented.
Do your homework – look at the average rent price in the area and if the rent is unusually low and it seems too good to be true it usually is.
Use online maps to double check that the property being advertised actually exists and is at the stated address.
Keep copies of all correspondence between yourself and the advertiser, including bank details and the advertisement itself.
Use legitimate well-known rental agencies where possible.
Don’t hand over any money until you have seen the property and are happy with its condition. Once satisfied use a cheque or bank draft to pay the deposit.
Be Alert
Don’t make any payments until you have been given the keys and signed the rental contract. Always check that the keys fit in the lock.
Don’t transfer money unless you have carried out all the relevant checks and you are absolutely sure that the listing is genuine.
Don’t be embarrassed if you have been scammed report it to your local Garda Station and contact your bank.