Cross-border Task Force Investigating 75 Agri-business Fraud Cases

An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are investigating approximately 75 incidents of fraud targeting the agri-business sector across both jurisdictions. Two people have been arrested and items including a forklift, quadbike and dumper truck have been recovered as part of the ongoing investigation.

The frauds follow a sophisticated pattern where victims agree to sell farm machinery, mini diggers or quad bikes to buyers claiming to represent legitimate businesses. The seller receives a screenshot showing apparent proof of payment via card or bank transfer, but the payment is subsequently cancelled or was entirely faked using cloned cards.

A delivery driver, often unaware they are part of a fraud, collects the goods and is frequently redirected to a different address whilst en route. By the time the victim business discovers no money has arrived in their account, the buyer has disappeared with the goods, leaving sellers significantly out of pocket.

Members of the Cross Border Joint Agency Task Force on Rural Crime met in Dungannon, Co Tyrone last week to coordinate their response to these crimes.

Detective Superintendent John O'Flaherty, co-chair of the meeting, said:

"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."

Detective Superintendent O'Flaherty confirmed that An Garda Síochána has identified the movement of stolen goods from all areas in the Republic of Ireland to the border with Northern Ireland.

PSNI Superintendent Peter Stevenson said the frauds are complex and have resulted in considerable losses, particularly for firms in border areas:

"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 inactive businesses with active VAT numbers. The legitimate firms were completely unaware their details were being used 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.

Gardaí and the PSNI believe other businesses may have fallen victim to similar frauds but have not yet reported them.

Advice for businesses:

Exercise due diligence when taking card payments by phone, particularly from unfamiliar customers seeking to purchase substantial goods. Check that the card and cardholder match.

Research the business you are dealing with. Does their website look active? Does the item being purchased fit with the business type? One recent fraud saw a construction firm apparently attempt to buy large quantities of silage wrap, an item used almost exclusively by farmers.

Check with your own bank or financial institution that funds have arrived before shipping. Do not depend on confirmation from the buyer, as screenshots can easily be faked.

Consider marking sold items or installing trackers. A tracker installed in a quad bike assisted Gardaí to locate and recover it in one recent incident, whilst PSNI recovered a dumper truck due to distinctive markings.

Contact the firm the purchaser claims to represent using their publicly listed information, not details supplied by the buyer.

Businesses who have been victims of such crimes should report any fraudulent transactions to their local Garda station, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or the PSNI non-emergency number 101. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.