The Central Bank has issued a warning on an investment firm operating without authorisation in Ireland.

The bank said Dean Witter Consultancy (USA) has been offering investment services to members of the public, but is not authorised as an investment firm in Ireland.

It is a criminal offence for an investment firm to operate here without authorisation. The Central Bank publishes a list of such firms on its website.

Customers who deal with unauthorised firms are not covered by the Investor Compensation Scheme.