‘I urge everyone to check in on your elderly neighbours and make sure they are safe’

Gardai are urging people, especially elderly people, to be on alert after three incidents in Meath where men pretending to be gardai called to homes of elderly people in recent weeks. In two of the cases, they claimed they were investigating crimes involving counterfeit notes while in the third, they said they had found money in the yard.

At around 1.15pm on Thursday, 2nd December, two men pretending to be Gardai called to the home of an elderly woman at Lurganboy, Oldcastle, and claimed they had found money in the yard. They entered the house and proceeded to steal a sum of cash. No vehicle was seen in the vicinity.

On Tuesday, 30th November, at around 12.20pm, a man called to the home of an elderly man in the Castletown area of Rathmolyon purporting to be a garda. He informed him that he was investigating a crime involving counterfeit notes and that he needed to see the cash that the man had in order to check it. Fortunately, a caller came to the man's home at this point and the male then fled the house empty-handed.

Gardai believe a silver/grey coloured car may have been waiting for the culprit in the area. Anyone who spotted suspicious activity or vehicles in the area is asked to contact Trim Garda Station.

It follows a similar incident in the Glane Great area of Dunsany the previous Friday, 19th November, where two men pretending to be detectives called to an elderly man's home at around 10am and showed him something that appeared similar to a Garda badge.

They showed the man a sum of money claiming that they were investigating a crime involving counterfeit notes and they informed him that they needed to see all of his cash in order to compare it with the money they had.

The culprits then entered the house and proceeded to take a sum of cash from his bedroom. Trim Gardai are appealing to anyone who was in the area at that time who may have noticed anyone acting suspiciously to contact them at Trim Garda Station on (046) 9481540. They are also interested in hearing from anyone who has any dashcam footage around the area of the Dunsany to Kiltale Road between 9.30am and 10.30am on 19th November.

Superintendent Martina Noonan said: "We are investigating whether this incident in Rathmolyon is linked to the earlier one in Dunsany. There have been a number of incidents in different areas throughout the country as well."

"We are reminding people to be vigilant at all times, both callers to the door and also to scams and phone calls."

She said if in any doubt, you should ring Gardai and don't open the door to anybody unless they are known to you. Gardai will be able to confirm of the caller is a legitimate gardai. If at any time suspicious activity is noticed in an area, no matter how insignificant it may seem, Supt Noonan said to contact Gardai.

Meanwhile Meath Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Dean Kerins is reminding people that gardai will never call to a house asking anything to do with cash.

"Gardai calling to homes will never ask you anything to do with cash.

"We simply will never call to a house morning, noon, or night and asking any questions about cash."

He added that Gardai are recommending that people do not keep large sums of cash in the house. "That is the only reason these people are coming into older people's houses. They are looking for cash".

Sgt Kerins said every stranger that calls should be treated as a bogus caller. "Make sure you can see who is outside before you open the door. If in any doubt press your alarm pendant or ring Gardai. Stay inside and if the Garda is legitimate, he will leave his card and come again. Don't leave yourself exposed. The only reason they are contacting older and vulnerable people is simply to steal cash."

He also said that gardai will always park their official patrol car or unmarked car outside the door. "They are not going to hide it away. In a number of the recent incidents, they did not park a car nearby. If it is official garda business, they will park at the front door." Anyone with information on any of the above incidents is asked to contact the local garda station or the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein TD for Meath West Johnny Guirke has called on neighbours to check on their elderly neighbours after a spate of thefts on elderly and vulnerable people.

"Over the last number of weeks, reports have come in of thieves posing as Gardai and gaining entrance to homes of the elderly. Just today, another incident happened in my own area of Oldcastle as two men gained access to an elderly lady’s home.

"These thieves are targeting the most vulnerable in society at a time where they are already frightened about Covid. I urge everyone to check in on your elderly neighbours and make sure they are safe.

"To pose as a garda, deceive the occupant and steal from a person's home is not acceptable and I urge anyone with information to come forward."