'Rogue traders' Three men to appear in court in Cork after elderly woman scammed out of over €5K

Three men arrested during an operation targeting suspected rogue traders in Cork City are due to appear before Cork City District Court at 10.30am. 

The three men, all aged in their 20s, were arrested on Monday evening and detained at Togher and Bridewell Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana has revealed they have since been charged.

It follows a report submitted by a woman in her 70s living alone on September 4, 2020 about work she recently had done by tradesmen at her house in the Bishopstown area of Cork.

She told gardaí that on the morning of August 24, three men had arrived at her house uninvited, and agreed to clean her driveway for €900.

The men then stated that the roof needed to be fixed along with other jobs and made her feel pressured into paying over €5,450. When the lady had no cash left, she was asked to go to the bank to withdraw more money.

After she inspected the work that was carried out, there was paint damage to her driveway and house, as well as damage caused to her patio slabs.

In August of this year two Detective Gardaí were appointed to assist this operation, allowing for both surveillance and high visibility patrols to be carried out.

The operation, which is still ongoing, has also seen an increase in checkpoints carried out with the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare.

Crime Prevention Officer for Cork city, Sergeant Brian McSweeney said: “One of the best crime prevention tools we have is good neighbours. If you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours and see or hear about bogus traders operating in your area, let them and ourselves know so we can put out additional patrols.

“If you suspect that anyone who calls to your door selling goods or services is not who they say they are, tell them you are not interested and call the Gardaí immediately.

"Genuine tradespeople won’t be offended by any queries that you or Gardaí may make.”

Under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, a person guilty of deception, on indictment, can face a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both.

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Online Editors