Gardaí warn of driving licence fraudster selling €680 counterfeits
An Garda Síochána in Kilkenny has warned of a fraudulent scheme selling counterfeit driving licences for €680 a piece.
According to a spokesperson for the Kilkenny branch, suspicions were raised when one of the operating officers stumbled upon a man online who claimed to manufacture and distribute fake driving licences that would allegedly 'pass garda scrutiny' for a service fee of €680.
The garda officer in question concealed his identity to press the man about his wares, before publishing the transcript of the conversation online via An Garda Síochána Kilkenny's official Facebook page to warn the public of the fraud.
According to the published conversation, the frauster purported to work for the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), alleging that the fake licence could be verified on the NDLS website as a result.
The individual behind the fraud told the undercover garda that the licence would be ready within '3 working days' and that payment would be accepted via online banking services, Revolut and/or PayPal.
The investigating officer asked to see samples of the individual's 'previous work' before committing to the transaction, and was subsequently sent photos of fake Irish driver licences the fraudster claimed to have produced.
The fraudster expressed confidence that the undercover garda would recommend the service to friends.
The snippet of the conversation culminated in the garda revealing his real identity to the criminal by sending him a photo of his garda badge.
The garda spokesperson then went on to discredit the alleged veracity of the fake sample licences, warning that if someone was found in possession of a fake driving licence, both road traffic and fraud offences would be solicited.
The garda spokesperson explained: 'For what it's worth, the sample licences he sent us didn't pass our scrutiny. Even those back at the station that weren't up to speed on our sting knew them to be fake.
'If you did take the chance and present us with one of these at a checkpoint or on the roadside – it wouldn't just be the alleged road traffic offences that we would be pursuing but fraud offences too.'
Speaking about the fraud, local Fianna Fáil county councillor, Michael McCarthy said: 'At present, there are so many different scams out there, it's hard to keep up with each one but I would be inclined to take advice of the gardaí at all times.
'I am very grateful to the gardaí for being so proactive in keeping the public aware of such scams and fraudulent activity, when and as often as they do occur.'
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