A LIMERICK woman found that, despite handing over a precious pooch to a prospective dog buyer, she was that one that had been sold a pup.
That’s according to Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street Garda Station, Sergeant Ber Leetch, who explained that the Newcastle West woman had unknowingly accepted a substantial amount in fake cash when attempting to sell a Pomeranian puppy.
“In Newcastle West, a woman sold a Pomeranian pup to a male who paid her in cash. When she examined the notes later, she discovered that they were all fake €20 notes,” Sergeant Leetch said.
“She does not have any details about this male that can assist Gardaí in an investigation, and he chose an exchange spot that was not covered by CCTV.
“If you are buying or selling something online, ensure you have some identifying details about the person you are dealing with. A phone number is not sufficient, get a registration number of a car and try to conduct the exchange in an area that is covered by CCTV,” Sergeant Leetch advised.
“If the other person refuses to meet in your designated spot, be very suspicious.”
This comes as, according to Sergeant Leetch, fake €50 notes of “very good quality” are currently in circulation.
“I received a warning from other crime prevention officers around Ireland that fake €50 notes were in circulation, they were of a very good quality and they had tricked a number of retail outlets nationwide,” Henry Street Crime Prevention Officer said.
“I noticed that a number of retailers now have the automatic change registers that calculate the amount of change to be given. These registers also check the notes and can detect fake notes. If your business deals in cash, you should at least have the pen for marking notes that could show up a fake note.”
