Suspended sentence for Cork pensioner duped into €120k money-laundering scheme

Asked afterwards about his advice for anyone who might be contemplating engaging in this kind of online activity, James O’Rourke said: “Don’t”.

James O'Rourke met an American woman through Facebook and went on to let his bank accounts be used for money-laundering where over €120,000 was sent through fraudulent means from Sweden and France. Photo: Cork Courts Limited

A pensioner was duped into an internet money-laundering scheme even though it effectively had "bells, whistles and flags attaching to it,” according to the sentencing judge.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said that despite the quite obvious dangers of getting involved in the scheme the 76-year-old Cork man went ahead and allowed two of his bank accounts to be used by others.