Cork woman duped out of €720 in alleged fire equipment fraud

Suspect in investigation is a man living in West Cork involved in selling fire extinguishers and smoke alarms

Cork woman said she paid €720 in recent weeks to a man who persuaded her to buy a fire extinguisher, a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm and to have one of her own fire extinguishers serviced.

One Cork woman believes she has been duped out of more than €700 in an alleged fire equipment fraud currently being investigated by gardaí.

Gardaí are now urging anyone who believes they lost money in a transaction about equipment such as fire extinguishers, smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms to contact their local Garda station.

Sources have told the Irish Examiner sums of between €200 and €2,500 have been lost by individuals in relation to such equipment.

It is understood while the reports are being made to gardaí in Skibbereen, allegations relate to different parts of Munster. Concerns have also been raised by people in parts of the midlands, south Leinster and south Connaught who believe they were also targeted.

The suspect in the investigation is a man living in West Cork.

One Cork woman said she paid €720 in recent weeks to a man who persuaded her to buy a fire extinguisher, a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm and to have one of her own fire extinguishers serviced. 

Reports made to gardaí include allegations payment was made for products which were not supplied, while some extinguishers taken away for servicing were not returned to their owners.

Despite the man promising to return to her home four days later with the products, he has not done so. He left no paperwork with her and the only proof of purchase she has is a text message from SumUp outlining the details of the transaction on her bank card. 

She has now cancelled her bank card, on advice from her bank. She has also reported the incident to gardaí, who have received several such reports in recent days.

However, it is understood there are cases dating back a number of years. One businessman in Tipperary said he and his father were also visited by a suspect in the case, who managed to persuade them to purchase equipment and to pay upfront, before delivery of the products.

The man said, however, the suspect was paid with a cheque, which he managed to have stopped after he and his father got suspicious of the man.

The reports made to gardaí include allegations payment was made for products which were not supplied, while some extinguishers taken away for servicing were not returned to their owners and some others are alleged to have been replaced with inadequate equipment.

Extinguishers must be test discharged and refilled every three years, under Irish standards.

A Garda spokesman said: “If anyone believes they have been sold something or they entered into something for which they were furnished with false information, false documents or false materials, report it to their local station.”