Gardaí warn of phone credit scam

SHOPKEEPERS have been warned of a scam which has potential to defraud phone companies of a lot of money.

A Garda spokesman said the scam involves people going into shops looking for credit top-ups, handing over a credit card to pay, using their mobile phone to take a photograph of the top-up number while the card is being processed, feigning surprise when the credit card doesn’t work and leaving the shop with the number stored on their mobile.

Gardaí are looking at CCTV footage in various shops in an attempt to trace those involved.

Meanwhile gardaí are investigating the theft of telephone cables for the copper last Tuesday in Sunday’s Well, Cork.

Gardaí in north and west Cork have also reported a noticeable increase in the theft of home heating oil, the price of which has soared in recent months.