Man to be sentenced later after he allowed his bank account to be used in a smishing fraud

A man who allowed his bank account to be used in a “smishing” fraud in an attempt to clear his drug debt will be sentenced later at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Josh Reidy (23) pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing over €19,000 as the proceeds of crime at unknown locations within the State on August 30, 2021 and July 21, 2022.

The court heard that “smishing” involves the use of sending text messages containing spurious links purporting to be from banks or other financial institutions.

When the injured party clicks on the link, they are brought to a website and money is rerouted to other people’s bank accounts.

At a hearing yesterday, the court heard that Bank of Ireland has managed to recoup all of the money, apart from €900, for its two customers who were victims of this offence.

Detective Garda Jason Weir told Emmet Nolan BL, prosecuting, that the alarm was raised when a Bank of Ireland customer in Clonakilty reported a suspicious transaction in August 2021.

The victim had been sent a link to what he believed was a genuine Bank of Ireland web page and subsequently noticed that €19,421 had been withdrawn from his account without his permission.

Bank of Ireland stopped the transaction, recalled the funds and traced the transaction to a German banking company called N26.

This company provided details of the beneficiary of the transaction, an account holder who turned out to be Reidy, then living on Sundrive Road in Dublin.

Gardaí searched Reidy’s home under warrant while he was in hospital for an operation and found his passport and a Bank of Ireland withdrawal slip.

Meanwhile, a Bank of Ireland customer in Co Galway notified gardaí of a suspicious withdrawal from her account of €19,877 on July 21, 2022.

The beneficiary account was again traced to Reidy, whose current address is Landsdowne Gate apartments, Drimnagh, Co Dublin.

Bank of Ireland was only able to recall €18,973 of this second withdrawal, leaving the customer at a total loss of €904.

Reidy met gardaí by arrangement and was arrested.

He said he had a drug debt of about €3,000 for cocaine and that he had been made to give his passport and mobile phone details to other people for the purpose of paying off this debt.

His drug bill was to be reduced by €500 for handing over his phone number, the court heard.

Gda Weir agreed with defence counsel Luigi Rea BL that Reidy was cooperative with gardaí and answered every question, also that he had been threatened.

Mr Rea said Reidy described “an atmosphere of fear and dread” with his life when he got caught up with this group who “punched him a few times” and also threatened his mother.

The court heard that Reidy has a good work history and hopes to resume work in January when he will pay off the €900 owed to the Bank of Ireland customer.

“He was by no means the brains behind this operation,” said Mr Rea.

Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case for finalisation on November 28 next.

She also requested documentation proving Reidy’s drug-free status and his commitment to drug treatment.