Gardaí in plea over bogus house callers incidents

A garda chief in Killaloe has issued an appeal to those in the East Clare area to be aware of bogus callers, particularly in light of the current problems regarding water shortages and flooding.

Superintendent Tony Kennelly has advised people to be wary of callers who present themselves as employees of Clare County Council or gas power or water authorities, following a burglary in the area.
This incident on December 28 saw two people, a man and a woman, call to an older woman’s home at approximately 5.15am.
“The man and woman involved claimed to have knowledge that the house had been flooded and displayed some knowledge of the person involved. There was no force used. It was more of a deception that was played on her. They told her they were carrying out an inspection of the house because of the flooding and gained entry.
“They subsequently took a quantity of cash. They didn’t attack her but she was obviously frightened. They weren’t long in the house but this woman was sharp and she spotted one of them in a bedroom looking for something. She challenged them on it and contacted the gardaí straight away and they fled,” Superintendent Kennelly said.
While the garda explained that there hasn’t been any further incidents in the region, this is something that has been happening in other parts of the country.
“Nobody has been caught in relation to this and we would appeal to anyone who had callers or similar experiences to contact us. There hasn’t been anything similar in East Clare but at a different time, there had been reports of similar occurrences in Limerick and Dublin. This was unusual in that it happened at 5.15am. We would also be encouraging anyone who saw anything unusual in the Tulla area to contact us.
“The male was approximately six-foot tall, had dark hair and spoke well. The woman was wearing a low-cut top and spoke in a foreign accent, whether real or put on. They were seen in a dark-coloured vehicle,” Superintendent Kennelly added.
In a separate appeal, the Garda Press Office has advised home occupiers to be sure of the sincerity of all callers to their homes and to check with the organisation they allege to represent. In cases where the home occupier is in any doubt they should contact local gardaí immediately.
“Genuine callers or traders have no problem in providing photographic identification and organisational details,” a spokesperson stated.
Neighbours and family friends are asked to be vigilant in this regard and remind the elderly and those living alone of the dangers that these people pose.
Anyone with any information regarding the burglary in Tulla is asked to contact Killaloe Gardaí on 061 620540.