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FRAUD OFFENCE HAVE soared in early 2025, with shopping scams alone jumping by 200 per cent, new Garda figures have revealed.
According to quarterly figures published by gardaí today, there were significant decreases in robbery, burglary, violent disorder and theft offences in the first three months of this year.
However, incidents linked to organised crime and serious fraud have risen compared to the same period last year, a trend that gardaí attribute to improved reporting and higher detection rates.
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.
Shopping and online auction fraud – where fake websites or listings are used to steal payment card details – recorded the sharpest rise of any crime in the first three months of 2025, jumping by 200% compared to the same period last year.
Forgery also rose by over 200 per cent, while deception was up 159 per cent, account takeover fraud increased by 128 per cent, and bogus tradesman scams showed a growing trend with a 107 per cent rise.
There were some declines in fraud-related crimes, as reports of counterfeit cash use declined by 88 per cent, and incidents of ‘phishing’ (conning people via email or messages to steal information) dropped by 52 per cent.
Despite the upward trend in fraud, traditional property crime has dropped significantly, with residential burglaries down 17 per cent, reaching their lowest level since 2021.
Gardaí credit Operation Thor, a targeted crackdown on burglary gangs, with helping cut winter-time break-ins by 75 per cent over the past decade.
Elsewhere, organised retail crime remains a growing concern. While theft from shops dropped slightly overall, gardaí noted an ongoing increase in reported incidents in Dublin.
In the past year, retail theft arrests rose by 8 per cent, while charges and summonses surged by over 30 per cent, highlighting intensified efforts to tackle coordinated shoplifting and refund fraud.
There were significant improvements in road afety offence rates, with fatal and serious road traffic collisions falling by 40 per cent compared to the first three months of last year.
Fatal collisions were down 22 per cent, while incidents resulting in serious injury dropped by 42 per cent.
Despite an increase in non-serious injuries (21 per cent), the overall number of road collisions fell by 7 per cent.
Operational enforcement also intensified, with Gardaí reporting that they issued nearly 71,000 Fixed Charge Notices by the end of March – including over 31,800 speeding fines and thousands more for offences such as using a mobile phone while driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, and misusing bus lanes.
There was also a 3 per cent rise in arrests for drink or drug driving, with an average of 23 drivers detained daily.
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Every supermarket in Holland has had this since before I arrived 28 years ago. We pay a deposit on our bottles, plastic and glass and we get our deposit back when we return the bottles
@John Brendan Mullen: That was also a thing in all eastern european countries. It disappeared as soon as multinationals hit the market. Problem with recycling does not lie with people but with companies who are constantly looking at how to increase profit.
I remember well returnable sturdy plastic bottles for coke/fanta etc… Companies figured out that it is cheaper for them to make single use cheap plastic bottles than to bother with shipping and cleaning returnable bottles for another use.
@Pat Patovic: It’s still a thing in Germany, old eastern for that matter, most prevelant in off licences/drink shops. Great system…
@John Brendan Mullen: it’s everywhere in Denmark too
@John Brendan Mullen: when I was staying with my aunt in Boston in 93, she used to take her empty cans to the supermarket and they had a counter near the entrance that gave you money off vouchers for your shopping for every can you returned!! Don’t know how much it was but enough to make her keep empty cans.
@John Brendan Mullen: same here in Germany
These machines have been in the Netherlands since at least 1994. We’re only 25 years behind on this one…
@Kiernan Gildea: I arrived in Holland in 1991 and they were already there.
@John Brendan Mullen: They had them beside the Red Sea when Moses parted it.
@Alan McDonald: is that how all the plastic ended up in the ocean?
@Alan McDonald: ha ha ha ha excellent
@Alan McDonald: brilliant
We had a glass bottle return in my Mam’s shop back in late 70s and early 80s and everyone brought back their glass and the various companies took em back for reuse then Tetra Pak and plastic became the norm and wiped the glass out. I always thought milk tasted nicer out of glass pint bottles. We also had a far cleaner countryside cos every child would be fighting over dumped bottles Togo and get 10p which would buy a good few sweets
Go deas le feiceáil. Ba chóir ceann a chur i nach siopa
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: Ta me Mahogany gas pipe. Nil aon Fáine Or agam!
These should be common place in every town village and city in Ireland.
No brainer!!! Why the hell is this only happening now??
@Devilsavocado: it’s Ireland
@Devilsavocado: we’re leprechauns. If it makes sense we will deny it for as long as possible until one day many years later someone will have a lightbulb moment…. Meanwhile the world’s moved on….
I’m 54. As long as I recall this was standard for glass bottles since I was small. Later plasticbottles and cans were added to the system.
This was in Finland.
@Nina Wallenius: time to return to glass bottles
Country is awash with glass
A broken bottle in the sea has majorly less impact on the environment than a plastic straw
@Means of escape: what about the energy used to make and transport the glass bottle? Also the natural resources used to make the glass bottle?
@John Horan: I may be wrong but I think the recycling process for glass is easier. Transport is more expensive as heavier but I think the environmental impact would still be less with glass
I remember politicians saying it wasn’t feasible to do this in Ireland. More down to the fact that they are to lazy and in bed with Multinational companies
I seen this in Germany 13 years ago and Ireland only gets it first one now typical ireland
Why cant we just be like the rest of the world and get actual coins for bringing bottles back? The homeless in germany and canada as i witnessed even go through the bins to get bottles. Less rubbish, more recycling and keeps people fed. Vouchers is a step indeed but it’s better to get that 25c back off the bottle. All adds up.
In Ireland they’ll probably set up a company first.. ‘Irish Plastic’, spend a lot of money on consultants, charge supermarkets a lot of money installing the machines….and then don’t follow through….
This is great to see but I guarantee you some little knackbag will put his hand in it, get injured and mammy will sue. Joe Duffy will hop on the bandwagon, call it a disgrace and the whole thing will be cancelled. This is ireland remember.
It’s a start but why does it take us so long to do everything that is good, surely these machine can be fitted in every town by Christmas
No where in this article or trial does it.mention a bottle deposit. Otherwise, at 10c a bottle refund, this is not viable.
@Lar Meyler: because it’s a trial….
@Diarmaid O’Riordáin: it’s 100% viable tax the bottle makers and allow normal people to recoup the money for recycling them
This is even a thing in some US states like Michigan. Has been for years.
8 cent after Tax
About fekn time …Simple idea
Great idea! I am living in frankfurt we have them over here really encourages ya to recyle plus you get paid
What can be done with the voucher? Is it cashed out in a shop?
Probably got to give 50 bottles back just to get the 10c.
But you are paying for the recycling. Look on the bottles for the recycling sign, that means there is already a levy to pay for the recycling. Rip Off Ireland at its finest
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