Two men who fraudulently claimed €180k in PUP jailed

Accused were 'low-level operatives' in a criminal organisation, Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard

Judge Boyle said the first phase of the crime was a significant data breach where emails of HSE staff were harvested and people were then sent bogus jury summonses which requested further information that was then used to set up bank accounts. Picture: iStock

Targeting a scheme designed to assist people in greatest financial need in the pandemic was an aggravating factor in the elaborate €183,000 fraud for which two men have been jailed.

Judge Helen Boyle said: “Cybercrime is a relatively new crime and it has to be shown that people should not be tempted to get involved in this, no matter what type of financial difficulties they have. If you become involved in it you will face a prison sentence.”