FACEBOOK LICENCE FRAUD

WARNING AS ONLINE BUYERS CONNED

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.”

Speaking from France where he is working at a ski resort, Conor believes his licence was copied by two men who visited his home last November to buy a laptop he had offered for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

“I had been living in Dublin for the last few years and I was going to work in a ski resort and go on travelling so I was selling a few bits off, like my car and laptop,” he said.

“The laptop’s sale was all arranged through Marketplace and everything seemed legit. The seller and another man came to my house and said they had arranged a bank transfer for €950.

“They showed me the receipt of transfer on this app I’d never seen before. The balance showed the €950 leaving and it had my name and IBAN but I didn’t know the app so I told the guys I wouldn’t part with the laptop until the money was in my account.

Tetchy

“They seemed a bit tetchy but they said OK and left without the laptop. The money never arrived in my account. But my licence and a few cards were near the laptop - totally my fault.

“As far as I can make out, they must have taken a picture of the licence. A few weeks ago, my friend contacted me in France to show me a post 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’d given my licence.

“He also had some CCTV of the person, which I don’t think looked like me.

“My stomach sank when I realised what had happened. I got straight onto the man and explained and he understood that I was just as much a victim.

“Then a few weeks later, contact was made by Drogheda Gardai where another similar scam was reported, again with my details.

“I want to stop other innocent people being scammed. I also want to make sure as many people share this as possible, so my driver’s licence is useless to them anymore.

“I would also like to tell people to keep all personal identification hidden and never ask any seller or buyer to your house. I’ve learned the hard way.”