A man has been arrested in relation to a scam which left one homeowner €700 out of pocket.
A conman claiming to work for PhoneWatch approached the house in Corbally, Co Limerick last Sunday.
He offered to upgrade the homeowner's security system for an agreed fee.
And after completing the bogus transaction, the scam artist gave back a fake bank card - and used the real one to withdraw hundreds of euros from an ATM later that day.
A garda spokesman said: "An investigation was carried out by Gardaí form Mayorstone Park and a in his 20s was arrested this morning, 5 March, in Co Clare.
"He is currently detained at Henry Street Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984."
There have been other reports of this type of fraud occurring in recent days and investigators from Mayorstone Park are working with Gardai in Cork and Tipperary.
Gardai are appealing to anyone who has been a victim of a similar incident to contact their local station.
Speaking at Henry Street Garda Station, Crime Prevention Officer Sgt Ber Leetch said: "If you suspect that anyone who calls to your door selling goods or services is not who they say they are, tell them you are not interested and call the Gardaí immediately.
"Genuine trade’s people or a salesperson won’t be offended by any queries the Gardaí may make."
