Irishman’s warning over identity theft
Conor’s driving licence being used in scams
A MAN whose driving licence is reportedly being used as part of a scamming op says he does not want any more people to be targeted.
Conor Gleeson, 27, from Navan, Co Meath, is urging people to share the warning on social media to try making his licence worthless to the fraudsters.
To date, he has been made aware of at least two scams in Ireland using his identification and one in Scotland.
Conor’s post says: “Unfortunately, I have been the victim of identity fraud and my driving licence is being used as part of an intricate scamming operation on Facebook marketplace, originating from North Dublin.
“The scam seems to involve the scammer in question turning up to buy a product, introducing themselves as Conor Gleeson and providing my home address from my licence to the seller as verification.
“The scammer does a bank transfer through a fraudulent app and leaves with the product.
“The money never arrives, needless to say, into the seller’s account, with only my details left to contact. If people could share as far and wide as possible, it would be much appreciated.”
Conor believes his driver’s licence was copied when two men came to his house last November to buy a laptop he had for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Speaking from France on Thursday where he is working at a ski resort, Conor said: “They came to my house to look at the laptop and said they had arranged a bank transfer for €950. They
showed me the receipt of transfer on this app that I’d never seen before.
“The balance showed the €950 leaving the account and it had my name and IBAN but I just didn’t know the app so I told the guys I wouldn’t part with the laptop until the money was in my account. They seemed a bit tetchy but they said OK and left without the laptop.
“The money never arrived in my account, needless to say. However, my driver’s licence and a few cards were near the laptop, which is totally my fault.
“As far as I can make out, they must have taken a picture of the licence at that time.
“A few weeks ago, my friend contacted me in France to show me a post circulating on Facebook warning of a scam and with my details on it.
“It was the same app used to scam a man out of a watch, except this time they had given my licence as verification.
“Gardai advised me to get it out there as much as possible that I am being used in all these scams and not to believe it.”
Meath Crime Prevention Officer Sgt Patrick Smyth said: “We are aware of so many scams already and more and more are being developed on a weekly basis.”