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Updated 5.20pm
FIVE PEOPLE HAVE been arrested as part of a garda investigation into a scam that cost Dublin Zoo close to €500,000.
It was reported in December that the zoo had fallen victim to an invoice fraud scam that involved the theft of almost half a million euro. It is understood that as part of the scam, some businesses were sent invoice emails purporting to be from suppliers and providing false bank details.
Gardaí said the investigation into the series of invoice redirecting frauds amounts to in excess of €750,000 and affects a number of organisations.
This morning, three searches were carried out at properties in Tipperary and one in Dublin as part of the ongoing investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB).
The GNECB, assisted by the Cyber Crime Unit and gardaí from Tipperary and Blanchardstown, carried out the searches.
Three men and two women, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s, were arrested in connection with this investigation into organised criminal activity. They are being detained at Clonmel, Cahir and Tallaght garda stations under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
A spokesperson for Dublin Zoo told TheJournal.ie that it is “co-operating with An Garda Síochána on a case of invoice redirect fraud”.
“No Dublin Zoo customer details have been compromised,” they added.
“As this is an ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána, we cannot provide further comment at this time.”
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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Very good work by the Gardai. But why haven’t the bankers been arrested for fraud. That fraud is well above a mere 750,000 euro.
@Dave Doyle: Can’t happen, they have been shown to be above the law.
@Dave Doyle: Well said, but unfortunately our politicians protected all involved in the crash/fraud of the Irish People with a small few scape goats, all protecting their own and as the saying goes “Money Talks and we all know the rest”
@G Row: And too many friends in high places.
@Fake Avast: if DoB or Michael Lowry avoid jail, jail is only for us mortals
@Dave Doyle: white collar crime is legal in this country.
@Dave Doyle: Our prosecution teams aren’t joined up enough to present a case that will get a conviction for the bankers. We are just really bad at these types of crimes, it requires a cross-functional team of experts to present the case and join the dots.
Were these lads in the Tarmac business I wonder
@mcgoo:
If you haven’t signed anything I wouldn’t worry…
The word is thst they were passing tesco value loafd as brenanns sliced pan over the last couple of days.
the more the guards can seize from these people the better &disrupt their operations the better because as we all know the judges won’t jail them, so seizures /interruption to criminal activity etc is pretty much the only penalty they’ll ever face
Great job by Gardai!
These scams usually generate income for cyber cafes in Lagos but now they cutting out the cafe owners and are coming here in person to exercise their thieving ways. I get several invitations every day from Nigeria to be ripped off or is someone moving in on the developed income generating of other gangs.
Fraud is is costing the state millions, in stating that, what bank headquarters were raided concerning the fraud perpetrated on the Irish people. The gangsterism of the banks who brought this country to it’s knees. The on going criminality concerning the tracker mortgage scandal, the selling of mortgages to vulture funds. The recent criminal cases against bankers collapsed because of shredded documents by the state and inadmissible evidence. The millions lost by fraud compared to the Billions stole by the banks…..yet they still have not being brought to account for their gangsterism.
@Donal Desmond: Great post Donal. Truthful and absolutely accurate. Perhaps an Irish Water type series of protests might finally kick start a proper fraud investigation into everything included in your comment.
Definition of fraud in the dictionary; Banker.
@Dave Walsh: What dictionary are you reading Dave?
@Pat Bateman: obviously the one where the banks over charge mortgage holders,take their home’s and get away with it…
@Pat Bateman: common sense one
this is a sneaky but very simple idea.
find out the suppliers of a business. email or ring up that business pretending to be the supplier and say that your bank account details have changed.
when the business pays an invoice of that supplier next time it goes to the thief’s bank account.
@Minom Pnnomm: ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
There’s a GNECB, wow who knew….
Bloody animals.
Yeah I agree what about the bankers that have caused people’s lives and homes and corrupt politicians… why ain’t their homes been investigated… I’ll tell you why… “corruption” brown envelopes….
@Paul Linehan: ‘Gardai had’
Dirty Animals !!
have your say