Garda warning as three 'bogus tradesmen' are arrested following Ennis incident
Suspects accused of fraud offences brought before the courts
Gardai are urging householders across Clare to be vigilant when dealing with tradesmen who call to their homes unannounced offering to carry out works.
The appeal follows a recent incident in Ennis which resulted in three men being arrested and charged with fraud offences.
"In this case, the three men presented at a woman’s door. They offered to clean the gutters and agreed on a price. Later they demanded additional money for works they stated that they had carried out," said crime prevention officer, Sergeant Catriona Holohan.
Gardaí were contacted and the three men were arrested at the scene a short time later. They have since been charged with offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
"In ordinary language, this was a ‘Bogus Tradesman Scam’ and this type of deception is regularly used by criminals," said Sgt Holohan who is appealing to any other householders who can relate to the story to contact their local garda station.
While investigations into the recent incident are ongoing, gardai say it should act as a reminder to all householders that they should exercise caution when dealing with people who call to their homes.