New Garda crime figures show increase in online fraud offences

New figures release by An Garda Síochána show that there have been “significant increases” in rates of online fraud in the first half of this year.

Comparing crime figures from the first six months of 2022 to the same period in 2021, gardaí said fraud offences are down by two percent on last year but there has been a continued sizeable increase in online fraud.

Bogus tradesman fraud increased by 81 percent, accommodation fraud by 58 percent, and account take-over fraud by 128 percent.

Technology-based fraud such as phishing increased significantly during the pandemic while most other types of fraud decreased over the same period.

According to the report, burglaries on homes have increased by 33 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to 2021 but have reduced by 38 percent since 2019.

“Major factors in this downward trend are the commencement of Operation Thor (November 2015) and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic (April 2022),” the Gardaí say.

“When compared to 2019 (Jan – Jun), reported residential burglary in 2022 (Jan – Jun) was 36% lower and burglary elsewhere was 44 percent lower.”

Personal robbery incidents have increased by 164 percent since 2021 but remain down by almost half compared to 2019.

The theft or unauthorised taking of vehicles saw an increase of 77 percent from last year with Gardaí saying the majority of the vehicles stolen are “second hand imported vehicles” and electric scooters.

Fatal road crashes increased by 62 percent in the first half of this year compared to 2021 with more than 4,000 drivers having been arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Sexual assault offences decreased by three percent from last year but reported incidents of rape have increased by 23%.

Reported incidents of domestic abuse increased by 13 percent.

“The increase in sexual offences figures may relate to a change in reporting behaviour whereby victims are increasingly likely to report sexual crime,” the Gardaí say.

“Furthermore, ongoing efforts by An Garda Síochána regarding improvement of data quality and recording may be a contributing factor to the upward trend in recorded incidents of both Sexual Offences and Crimes against the Person in recent years.

“It therefore cannot be concluded that the increase in Sexual Offences (in recent years) is solely due to an increased level of incidents occurring.”

The number of drug seizures and detections has reduced, according to the figures, but the volume of drugs being seized is increasing.

A statement on the provision crime statistics for the first half of this year emphasised that Covid-19 public health measures in 2021 and 2020 “had a significant effect on crime, with most types of crime reporting reductions”.

Periods of lockdown restrictions in particular had a “large impact on many types of crime”, the garda statement said.