Cross-Border Joint Agency Task Force Fraud Investigations

As part of the Cross Border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF), An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are currently investigating approximately 75 incidents of fraud related to the agri-business sector.

Gardaí and the PSNI have been liaising in relation to the fraud incidents that have occurred in both jurisdictions and are appealing to anyone who has not yet reported an incident to come forward.

Two people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigations and some items have been recovered, including a forklift, a quadbike and a dumper truck.

The frauds occur whereby the victim company agrees to sell items such as farm machinery, mini diggers, quad bikes to a ‘buyer’, who usually claims to represent a business in the same sector.

Supposed proof of payment is then made to the seller by way of a screenshot of a subsequently cancelled – or entirely faked – card payment or bank transfer. With card payments, it is mostly cloned cards that are used.

A delivery driver is then engaged by the ‘buyer’ to collect the goods. Often, the driver will be contacted en route and asked to deliver to a different address than the one originally provided. By the time the victim's business realises that no money has arrived in their account, the ‘buyer’ has received the goods and is now uncontactable, leaving the seller out of pocket.

Members of the JATF on Rural Crime met in Dungannon, Co Tyrone last week.

Co-chair of the meeting, Detective Superintendent John O’Flaherty, said An Garda Síochána has identified the movement of stolen goods from all areas in the Republic of Ireland to the border with Northern Ireland.

"The fraudulent theft of goods is not confined to border areas and I urge business owners to be vigilant and make all the appropriate checks and balances. An Garda Síochána continues to work closely with our counterparts in the PSNI, not only investigating these crimes but to make our communities aware that their businesses and livelihoods may be targeted in the future.

"An Garda Síochána, under the auspices of the Joint Agency Task Force, has identified a number of incidents where goods were obtained and shipped through fraud amounting to considerable losses to the injured parties.”

Gardaí believe incidents of fraud of this type may have happened to other businesses who have not disclosed it, and are encouraging them to report it.

PSNI Superintendent Peter Stevenson said the frauds perpetrated are complex and have resulted in a number of local firms, particularly those in border areas, losing out on considerable sums.

"In some of these incidents, we have also seen examples of occasions when buyers have provided a VAT reference for their supposed business, which, when checked by the seller, often comes back to the legitimate firm or individual the buyer claimed to represent.

"These were subsequently found to be basically inactive businesses which still had an active VAT number. These firms were completely unaware that their details were being used in this way and were not involved in the fraud. Companies with dormant businesses may wish to consider deregistering to avoid their details being unwittingly used by fraudsters to facilitate their crimes.”

An Garda Síochána is appealing to all businesses and in particular those in the agri-business sector, to remain vigilant to customers wishing to pay for substantial goods over the phone, particularly if they are not familiar with the person.

• It is advisable for businesses to exercise due diligence in relation to taking card payments by phone that the card and cardholder are one in the same.
• Check out the business you are dealing with. Does its website look active? Does the item being purchased fit with the business type.
• Check with your own bank or financial institution that funds have arrived before shipping; do not depend on confirmation from the buyer, as this can be faked.
• One preventative measure sellers are advised to consider is marking sold items or tracking them – a tracker installed in a quad bike assisted Gardaí to locate and recover it in one recent incident.
• Where a business has been the victim of such a crime they are asked to report any transactions which have been found to be fraudulent.

You can contact your local Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.