72% increase in fraud crimes this year by attempts to obtain personal or banking information

Fraud crimes have increased in Ireland by 72% this year according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

In the 12-month period ending in September 2021, fraud crimes were 72% higher than the previous year, which was mostly driven by unauthorised transactions and attempts to obtain personal or banking information online or over the phone.

Sexual offences also rose this year by 10%, while other crimes such as burglary, theft and robbery decreased.

The statistics show continued welcome decreases in property crime over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Burglary was down 36%, Robbery was down 18% and theft was down 20% compared to the previous 12 month period.

In October, as part of European Cybersecurity Month, the Department launched a major cybercrime awareness campaign, involving Community Gardaí and Crime Prevention Officers around the country providing information to local communities on how to avoid falling victim to such scams. This included local information events, as well as the normal engagement Gardaí have with their communities. There were also dedicated radio advertisements broadcast nationally as part of the campaign.

Speaking about the latest statistics, the Minister said,

“As Christmas approaches and more people are shopping online, I encourage people to be mindful and not to respond or give out any personal or financial details.

“We have all received some of these strange phone calls and text messages over the last few months. Some of them can be very sophisticated and unfortunately it is easy to be scammed out of significant amounts of money. I encourage anyone who believes they may have been the victim of fraud or scams to contact the Gardaí.”

She went on to say that:

“The latest statistics from the CSO show welcome decreases in many categories of crime. However, we must consider them in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the various necessary public health restrictions that have come with that. And while these decreases are to be welcomed, it is important to note the significant increase in reported fraud crimes and recorded sexual offences.

“I also note that the statistics once again show an increase in those recorded as driving under the influence of drugs. I would strongly urge anyone considering doing so not to engage in this behaviour over the Christmas and New Year period as it can lead to real tragedy at what should be a special time of year.”

The statistics show continued welcome decreases in property crime over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noting the ongoing Winter Phase of Operation Thor, Minister McEntee said,

“This year's Winter Phase of Operation Thor commenced on 1 October 2021 and will continue until March 2022. This Operation is designed to specifically tackle the increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occurs in the winter months by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity. This includes the Lock Up and Light Up public awareness campaign encouraging homeowners to protect their homes over the winter months.

“I urge the public to please exercise caution and follow the simple crime prevention advice which An Garda Síochána provides to communities at garda.ie/en/crime-prevention/ in order to keep people safe and keep crime numbers low.”