Bogus tradesmen fraud up more than 80%, Garda figures show

The number of frauds involving bogus tradesmen calling to victims’ homes has almost doubled this year.

According to crime statistics released by An Garda Síochána on Tuesday, certain types of frauds which became common during the pandemic have continued to increase significantly.

Overall, fraud offences are down by 2 per cent compared with 2021 figures but there has been a 81 per cent rise in bogus tradesmen fraud, a 58 per cent increase in accommodation fraud and a 128 per cent increase in fraud involving the takeover of bank accounts.

Technology-based fraud has increased significantly since the pandemic while other types have mostly declined.

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Burglaries have increased by 33 per cent this year but remain 38 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels. The Garda said burglaries had trended downwards over the long term, something it attributed to the anti-burglary initiative Operation Thor and the pandemic.

Assault causing harm cases are up 34 per cent on last year and up 14 per cent on 2019 while vehicle thefts have increased by 77 per cent this year and 10 per cent compared with pre-pandemic figures.

So far this year the number of individual drug possession cases have fallen by 30 per cent but the value of drugs seized has increased by about €37 million, indicating gardaí are targeting larger consignments.

Garda headquarters said crime statistics should continue to be seen in the context of Covid-19 as public health measures had a significant impact on crime levels last year.

The pandemic saw a large increase in domestic violence as people were forced to spend more time in their homes. This trend has continued this year with a 13 per cent increase in the first six months.

Offences related to child abuse images are down 18 per cent on last year and 25 per cent on 2019, the garda said.

Overall, sexual offences are down 3 per cent on last year. However, rape offences have increased by 23 per cent since last year and 11 per cent since 2019.

According to the Garda, this increase may relate to “a change in reporting behaviour whereby victims are increasingly likely to report sexual crime” and an improvement in how gardaí record crime figures. “It therefore cannot be concluded that the increase in sexual offences [in recent years] is solely due to an increased level of incidents occurring,” it said.

Murders are up 7 per cent on 2021 and 7 per cent on 2019, while attempted murders are down 25 and 68 per cent respectively. This is likely due to decreased levels of attempted gangland assassinations in recent years.

Human trafficking offences fell 17 per cent this year while offences involving demands to repay a debt – typically a drug debt – increased by 50 per cent. Compared with pre-pandemic levels, debt demand offences are up 280 per cent. However, the Garda warned that the figures themselves remained relatively small “so percentage change is liable to large variation”.

The Garda said it had a “Drugs Related Intimidation Reporting Programme” in place in every Garda division and that each complaint would be dealt with “in the utmost confidential and secure fashion”.