Two gardaí arrested on suspicion of €2,000 ATM scam

Two gardaí arrested on suspicion of involvement in an ATM scam risk losing their jobs over sums totalling less than €2,000.

The male officers, both in their 30s, were arrested at their homes yesterday by detectives from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Their arrests followed an internal inquiry by a bank into allegedly false claims made by a number of customers that faulty ATMs had processed cash withdrawal transactions but had not dispensed any money.

The suspicious transactions took place at several ATMs in Dublin over a few months earlier this year and were spotted by the bank’s internal monitoring systems.

They were for small sums of money, which were paid out to customers before the suspicious pattern of claims emerged. A third man who is not a member of the force is also under suspicion as a result of the inquiry.

The gardaí were brought to Leixlip Garda Station and held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Banks are not obliged to pay out sums of money if an ATM transacted a withdrawal but did not dispense the cash, but must properly process a customer’s complaint and claim.

However, if a serving garda was found to have used their position to get an immediate pay-out, the repercussions for their career would be severe.

The Irish Payments Services Organisation said some €20.4m was lost in card fraud last year in a variety of scams involving credit, debit, and ATM cards.