Central Bank issues warning against Catriona Carey's company 

Bank says Careysfort Asset Estates, of which the former international hockey player is the sole director, 'holds no authorisation from the Central Bank as a retail credit firm'

Catriona Carey hit the headlines last February when 'RTÉ Investigates' aired a programme detailing complaints of alleged fraud regarding her asset management company Careysfort Asset Estates. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins 

The Central Bank is warning the public against using a firm which they say is an “unauthorised company” due to former international hockey player Catriona Carey being its sole director.

On its official website, the Central Bank published the name of what it called “an unauthorised company, Careysfort Asset Estates Limited”, providing financial services.

The Central Bank is able to name her firm under the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2013.

In a statement, the Central Bank said: “Careysfort Asset Estates Limited is an English-registered company, having its registered address at 22 Wenlock Road, London, England N1 7GU. Catriona Carey is the sole director of Careysfort Asset Estates Limited.

“The Central Bank believes Careysfort Asset Estates Limited is holding itself out as a person whose business consists wholly or partly of providing credit directly to a relevant person but it holds no authorisation from the Central Bank as a retail credit firm.” 

The statement continued: “It is a criminal offence for an unauthorised firm / person to provide financial services in Ireland that would require an authorisation under the relevant legislation, which the Central Bank is the responsible body for enforcing.

“Consumers should check the Central Bank registers online to find out if a firm / person they are dealing with is authorised. Consumers should be wary of advertisements offering loans from unauthorised firms or persons.” 

Alleged fraud

The Kilkenny woman hit the headlines last February when RTÉ Investigates aired a programme detailing complaints of alleged fraud regarding her asset management company Careysfort Asset Estates.

Officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau are now examining 39 complaints against the 43-year-old. Scores of homeowners who found themselves in financial trouble over mortgage repayments claim she defrauded them out of thousands of euro through her mortgage scheme.

The company was offering to sell the mortgages back to the original borrower for the same discounted price it had paid. On top of this, Careysfort Asset Estates would give people a new loan, at a rate of about 5.5%, to allow them to buy back their mortgage — in essence a friendly vulture scheme.

Ms Carey, who won 72 caps playing hockey for Ireland for eight years before retiring from international playing, appeared before Kilkenny District Court last month on driving charges.

The 44-year-old was handed a three-month suspended prison term and a four-year road ban after admitting to driving with no licence or insurance twice within a month.