Gardaí in Monaghan dealing with over 70 fraud complaints

Gardaí in Monaghan have dealt with a significant number of complaints in relation to online fraud attempts in the first quarter of this year, Garda Superintendent Pat O’Connell told the April meeting of the County Monaghan Local Community Safety Partnership.

In a presentation on crime trends in the county since the start of the year, Supt O’Connell said gardaí have been made aware of over 70 alleged cases of fraud or economic crime arising from such sources as phishing emails. He highlighted how one incident can create two offences: the attempted fraud itself, and instances where loss of income resulted from engagement.

Referring to recent presentations on online fraud delivered by the Gardaí in the county, the Superintendent said the gardaí are willing to go to local communities and provide briefings on how to stay safe online.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) suggested that instances of online fraud might be underreported. He said there is a fear among older people, in particular, of purchasing items online and he believed work needs to be done to give people confidence to use their smart devices.

Supt O’Connell’s view was that online fraud reporting is on the increase, attributing this to increased awareness and education.

Burglaries

Noting a significant decline in burglaries in the county compared to the same period last year, Supt O’Connell said some excellent detections had taken place in March of particular groups responsible for burglaries.

For example, two males were arrested in Emyvale who were in possession of equipment used to conduct burglaries after suspicious activity was reported to the Gardaí. These individuals are currently being dealt with before the courts.

Cockfighting

The senior Garda officer also remarked on the detection of illegal cockfighting in Monaghan, resulting in charges due to come before the courts. This had been the subject of an excellent Garda investigation carried out with the assistance of personnel from the Department of Agriculture, he stated.

Cattle rustling

Cllr Keelan asked whether cattle rustling and the theft of vehicles and machinery from farms are still prevalent in the county. Supt O’Connell confirmed that ongoing work is taking place through the Joint Agency Taskforce on a cross-border basis in relation to rural crime. Gardaí are also liaising with the PSNI and he believes progress is being made in relation to thefts of cattle and farm machinery.

The senior garda noted that a tractor stolen in Ballyconnell, County Cavan, recently was recovered thanks to collaboration between gardaí in Ballyconnell and the PSNI in Enniskillen.

Replying to Cllr Seán Conlon, Supt O’Connell said if a person is involved in a collision on the public roadway in a vehicle of which they are the registered owner, they are obliged to report the collision to the Gardaí. This is also required by insurance companies.

The Superintendent also informed the meeting that Garda Inspector Adrian Durkan will give a presentation to a future LCSP meeting on drug-related intimidation, which is impacting some families in the county.

Partnership chairperson Cllr Alan Johnston (FG) commended the Gardaí “for everything they are doing in relation to community safety”.