Fraud at 15-year high as CSO worries over impact of cancelled 999 calls on crime data

A total of 13,509 reported cases of fraud, deception and related offences were reported in the year to the end of September, an increase of 72% on the same period 12 months earlier. File photo

The amount of fraud crime reported to gardaí in the third quarter of this year more than doubled on the same period in 2020, with the number of frauds reported in that quarter the highest since the Central Statistics Office began compiling crime figures in 2006.

However, in its latest bulletin on recorded crime stats, the CSO noted that the quality of the information provided by the gardaí does not meet the standards required of official statistics. The CSO said it is awaiting clarification from An Garda Síochána on the full impact of the cancelled 999 calls controversy.