Gardai warn public over devious new sex crime investigation scam

Gardai are asking the public to be vigilant following the emergence of a new sex crime investigation scam.

The scam impersonates An Garda Siochana and may trick victims into handing over thousands of euro. The email says that the computer the email has been sent to is being seized in relation to investigations into a number of sex crimes.

An Garda Síochána is advising the public that it "does not and will not make contact with a person under investigation in this way."

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In a statement, An Garda Siochana said: "We are aware of a current e-mail based scam/fraud which involves a person receiving correspondence claiming to be from An Garda Síochána. This correspondence states that the individual has been accused of offences in relation to investigations into child pornography - paedophilia - cyber pornography - or some similar ‘judicial’ claim."

The scam email claiming to be from An Garda Siochana says that the recipient is under investigation for sex offences (Facebook/Meath Crime Prevention)

Gardai have released the following fraud prevention advice:

• Don’t respond to any unsolicited email seeking personal, financial or security advice

• Never click on a link or attachment in an unsolicited email

• If you believe the email is from a genuine source, verify this independently. Independently means independent of the email sender

• Independently verify any requests for information and never use the contact details supplied to you by the caller or texter (Independent means independent of the caller or texter.)

A Garda spokesman said: "We would urge anybody who has received similar correspondence and has any concern about it to contact their local Garda Station for advice.

"We are also appealing to any one who may have inadvertently or otherwise engaged with this scam, or any similar scam, and subsequently been a victim of this type of fraud to come and speak with us in any local Garda Station.

You can find further garda fraud prevention advice here.

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