Con man posing as garda now operating in the west

A scam artist who pretends to be a detective in order to win the trust of elderly people before stealing money and valuables from them has spread his activities wider and is now believed to be operating in the west of Ireland.

Earlier this week gardaí issued a warning about "a highly plausible con man" targeting elderly people in the south and southeast but the warning has now been extended to include Co Mayo.

Pretending to be a plain-clothes detective the man made off with several thousand euro in cash from victims living in isolated areas in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford.

Gardaí in Co Mayo have now warned that a man with a similar modus operandi is targeting that county and have urged the public to be on high alert for callers claiming to be from An Garda Síochána.

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A man who said he was a detective sergeant from Castlebar has called to the homes of elderly people in Bohola and Castlebar in recent days asking about cash or valuables they may have in their homes and promising them advice on how to keep it secure.

Description

The man is said to be in his 40s, around 5ft 10in and of stocky build and well dressed.

When he calls to homes he usually introduces himself as a detective and offers a fake business card with a Garda logo. He starts off by telling would-be victims that he wants to check on their personal security and asks about panic buttons and burglar alarms before asking if they keep any money in the house.

If they answer is in the affirmative, he says he needs to check the notes to make sure the money is not counterfeit or has not been stolen. He then claims to have a machine in his car that can check the legitimacy of currency and takes it there before driving away.

Mayo’s crime prevention officer Sgt Tony Cosgrove said locals should be on alert for the man and urged people to always ask all callers for identification before giving away any information or allowing them into their homes.

He said that if anyone had any doubt about the bonafides of a caller, they should contact their local Garda station.