Fraudsters preyed on new online users during Covid-19, says expert

New data from the CSO shows a rise in fraud crimes in the last year, with experts saying vulnerable online users are being targeted

A 13% rise in fraud cases has been recorded by the CSO in the last year. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

The Covid-19 pandemic created a new demographic of online users who have been preyed on by fraudsters, a leading expert has said.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office today showed while the pandemic caused a reduction in most types of crimes, the number of incidents classified as “fraud or related offences” increased by 1,101, or 13.7%, in the year to March.