Sharp rise in accommodation fraud as vulnerability exacerbated by housing shortages

Incidents of accommodation fraud have trended sharply upwards since its introduction to Garda Pulse reports in 2019, rising by 65% in the last four years

In total, reports of accommodation fraud have risen by more than 38% annually, with 382 separate incidents being reported to an Garda Síochána in 2022. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

With growing awareness and further engagement among financial institutions, instances of fraud have fallen by more than a third in the past year, with all but one type seeing notable decreases.

New data shows incidents of accommodation fraud have increased sharply, with a rising number of people feeling vulnerable to financial crime in the midst of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.