There was a significant rise in fraud offences in the first quarter of this year, with an increase of more than 200 per cent in shopping fraud alone, according to new Garda data.
Shopping and online auction fraud, in which fake shopping websites or listings are set up in order to obtain payment card details, saw the highest increase of any crime in the first three months of this year when compared to the same period in 2024.
This was alongside forgery, which also saw an increase of more than 200 per cent, while instances of deception rose by 159 per cent.
Account takeover fraud saw a 128 per cent rise, while gardaí said bogus tradesman fraud in particular was showing an “increasing trend” and was up by 107 per cent in the same period.
We are PhD researchers with advice for US colleagues: Don’t come to Ireland
The contrast between Kneecap charges and flag-festooned Northern Ireland is absurd
Irish military flight operations to move to part-time and may soon cease at Air Corps base
‘Waking up in hell’: Family subject to mistaken Dublin arson attack told ‘it wasn’t meant for youse’
Reported fraud or economic crime overall increased by 61 per cent when compared to the first three months of 2024, according to provisional Garda crime statistics.
[ Stricter rules to combat scam social media adverts proposed by GovernmentOpens in new window ]
This is amid a decrease in the prevalence of counterfeit cash, which was down by 88 per cent, while common forms of financial fraud involving phone calls, voice messages, texts and emails – known as “vishing”, “smishing”, and “phishing” – were down by 52 per cent.
While the number of sexual offences overall has remained level to the first quarter of 2024, incidents of sexual assault saw a 5 per cent increase, while there was a decrease of 3 per cent in rape and decrease of 16 per cent in child sexual abuse material offences.
More than 15,300 domestic abuse incidents were attended by gardaí, similar in total to the same period in 2024.
Gardaí said murder and human trafficking have increased, “although based on low numbers of 10 incidents each”.
While criminal damage incidents decreased by 18 per cent, arson was up by 17 per cent in the same period, and although public order offences rose by 7 per cent, incidents of riots or violent disorder saw a 41 per cent decrease, according to the Garda data.
Fewer demonstrations were also recorded in the first quarter of this year at 243, down from 358 in the same period last year.
Separately, 11,750 road traffic collisions were reported to gardaí in the first three months of this year, though fatal and serious collisions decreased by 40 per cent.
Some 23 drivers were arrested each day on average for driving while intoxicated, an increase of 3 per cent.
Approximately 31,800 fixed-charge notices for speeding offences were issued in the first three months of this year, while a further 6,100 were issued to drivers found to be using mobile phones while driving.
In the same period, gardaí seized drugs valued at €21.7 million, subject to analysis.
When compared to the same period in 2024, obstruction under the Drugs Act saw an 81 per cent increase, while offences for possession of drugs for sale or supply rose by 16 per cent.
The level of property crime, meanwhile, decreased across all crime types, with theft from a vehicle all down by between 29 and 32 per cent.
Overall, gardaí noted a 7 per cent reduction in crime in 2024 when compared to 2019, while undergoing a 9.3 per cent increase in population.
“Long-term trends continue to demonstrate an ongoing and sustained reduction in recorded crime,” a Garda spokesperson said.
