Tag Archives: Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks

CLARE students are being warned about the “serious impact” of becoming a ‘money mule’ . A Money Mule is a person who transfers money illegally on behalf of other people. “They allow their account to be used for the transfer of ill-gotten gains. They may or may not be aware of the crime. However, they are complicit if they recklessly allow their account to be used to launder the proceeds of these crimes,” explains Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. Students are often targeted by organised crime gangs to act as money mules, laundering thousands of euro through their accounts in exchange for a few hundred euro, she outlines. “Anti-money laundering legislation is designed to prevent organised crime gang members from opening up accounts so they need money mules to launder their money. Students are an easy target for these “money herders”. “They are often approached online, on campus, or while out socialising.” She advises: do not allow anyone to …

CLARE gardai are appealing for witnesses to a hit and run incident that occurred when a car mounted a footpath in Ennis. On Thursday, September 22, at 4.20pm the hit and run road traffic colission occurred at Claureen roundabout on the Lahinch Road. A car drove onto the footpath on the roundabout striking a pedestrian who was walking on the footpath. The lady fell over on impact and her right leg was then driven over by the back wheel of the vehicle. The driver left the scene immediately and drove out the Lahinch Road. The car is described as a light grey Sedan. Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or to anyone who may have dash cam footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100.”

BUSINESS owners and the general public are being warned to be on the look out following reports to gardaí of counterfeit banknotes being tendered in North Clare over the weekend. Sergeant Triona Brooks, Crime Prevention Officer advised, “There are many security features incorporated into banknotes that make them difficult to recreate. Many of these features can be checked manually using the three step security check Feel-Look-Tilt test.” She explained, “Most notes are embossed, usually the writing or the logo. The note should feel crisp, not limp, waxy or shiny. Security paper and special printing processes give banknotes a unique feel. “Print lines should be sharp and well defined with no blurred edges. The colours should be clear and distinct with no hazy fringes. “Check for the watermark image and security thread. The watermark should be hardly apparent until the note is held against a bright light source.” She added, “For all bank notes, do not rely on just one feature …

GARDAÍ in Clare have warned “people of all ages and all walks of life are falling victim to fraud on a daily basis”. This comes as a man was scammed out of a “substantial” sum of money in the county after falling victim to fraudsters claiming to be from Eir. Sergeant Triona Brooks, Crime Prevention Officer outlines that gardaí received a report during the week from a gentleman who had received a call from someone purporting to be from Eir saying that their internet had been hacked. The caller requested that the man go online and enter his details. “He did this and then realised that it was a scam and he is at a loss of a substantial sum of money,” said Sergeant Brooks. “We need everyone to spread the word, people of all ages and all walks of life are falling victim to fraud on a daily basis. Anyone who rings, texts or emails you out of the …

GARDAI are appealing for witnesses to an assault in Ennis town centre on Sunday night/Monday morning which left a man unconscious and needing hospital treatment. In the early hours of Monday morning at approximately 3.30am August 1, gardaí were alerted that a man was lying on the ground on Abbey Street. The man was unconscious and had blood covering his face. Medical assistance was immediately administered to this man and he was taken to University Hospital Limerick with non-life threatening injuries. The scene was preserved for technical examination. Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “There were large crowds of people on Abbey Street at this time and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed this assault or anyone who may have camera footage to contact Ennis Garda Station on 6848100.”

CLARE gardai have urged caution when renting properties after reports of one woman being scammed this week. Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks said, “During the week we received a report from a lady who saw an advert on Facebook Marketplace for a property to rent in Dublin. “She presumed it was legitimate and paid a month’s rent and a deposit totalling €1,463.00. She has since realised that the property never existed.” Sergeant Brooks has appealed for caution to avoid being tricked into paying a deposit for a property that does not exist or has already been rented, often to multiple people. She said that people should do their homework – look at the average rent price in the area and if the rent is unusually low and it seems too good to be true it usually is. Potential renters should use online maps, she advised, to double check that the property being advertised actually exists and is at …

GARDAI have urged caution when engaging people to do work on their properties. Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks reported a recent cautionary incident. “A few months ago a lady began communicating with a person purporting to be a tradesman on a Facebook community page. “She asked him would he do a job that she needed done in her house – he subsequently called to her, a price was agreed and the lady paid three separate instalments of a large sum of money into this person’s account. He has since deleted his page from Facebook and has never carried out the work paid for. “We would urge people to only use recommended genuine tradespeople. “If anxious or you think that there are bogus callers/trades people in your area contact your local Garda Station. If you think you have been scammed contact your bank as soon as you can to report the matter.”

ONE third of residential burglaries last summer involved entry through an unsecured door or window, with summer burglaries more likely in the afternoon than winter burglaries, gardaí in Clare have revealed. With summer holidays on the horizon, gardaí in Clare have issued advice to homeowners on ways to protect their homes from burglars. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks says, “Operation Thor summer burglary campaign is ongoing with targeting of organised criminal gangs. “Operation Thor and ongoing community engagement has resulted in dramatic drops in burglary. Less residential burglaries are reported in the summer than in the winter. “Residential burglaries during the summer are more likely to occur in the afternoon than winter burglaries. “An unsecured door or window is a more common entry point in the summer than in the winter and one third of residential burglaries last summer involved entry through an unsecured door or window. “As we come into the summer months, we want to remind people …