Gardaí have become aware of a report of advance fee fraud which took place in the past week in Ennis.
A woman in Ennis applied for a loan online from a site purporting to be a legitimate loan site. She was informed that the loan had been granted and asked to pay €699 to guarantee the loan which she paid into a Revolut account.
A short time later she received a call from a person looking for a further deposit to pay for administration fees and she then paid €950 into the same Revolut account – she became suspicious and contacted her bank who informed her that this was a scam.
Vulnerable persons and individuals who have difficulty obtaining loans from established financial institutions are being targeted according to Gardaí in Clare by numerous websites offering unsecured loans.
Crime prevention officer, Sergeant Triona Brooks explained, “The Victim applies for a loan through a website that offers loans which it is claimed will be processed quickly. The Victim will receive a call or communication within a very short time (often minutes) informing them that their loan application has been approved and providing details of the amount of the loan and the monthly repayment. The Victim will then be asked to send an amount of money to the lender in advance of the loan amount being issued, with different reasons given for this”.
She advised the public to never apply for a loan from an entity that is not authorised by the Central Bank and to always check the official Central Bank website to see if the firm is authorised by the Central Bank.
