Dublin residents are being warned to keep an eye out for their elderly neighbours and family members after reports of a slimy thug who is targeting old people for attacks in south Dublin.
The "believable" young man has been calling to peoples' houses claiming to be a tree surgeon, hopping into back gardens without permission.
The lying thug has hit up several homes in the Rathfarnham and surrounding areas, checking out back gardens to see who is living alone.
A text that went around to locals in the area warned them to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious to Gardai.
It said: "He approached some of our other neighbours as well and was quite persistent. I just wanted to let you know so you can share it and other people can be on their guard. We reported it to the Gardai in Rathfarnham."
One resident said their parents had been targeted in Templeogue in a similar incident.
They said: "My parents live in Orwell Park and the same guy called to their house. But my dad confronted him and the guy backed off. My dad said he looked very clean well dressed and very plausible.
Another local said: "He gained access to my mother's house and back garden on Ballyroan Road by spinning this tale.
"She was lucky that a neighbour spotted it and stepped in."
How to spot a scam:
1 Don’t rush into an online relationship and, if you do, ask plenty of questions that can be verified.
2 Confirm the person’s identity. Check the person is genuine by putting their name, profile pictures and the term “dating scam” into your search engine.
3 Be wary of anyone who asks you to keep your “relationship” a secret.
4 Never send money or share bank details with someone you’ve only met online, regardless of how long you have been speaking.
5 Be wary of giving out personal information. Fraudsters will exploit this and quickly contact you.
6 Romance fraudsters often claim to have high-ranking roles that keep them away from home for a long time. This could be a ploy to deter your suspicions around not meeting in person.
7 Fraudsters may attempt to steer you away from chatting on a legitimate dating site. Stay on the platform that you started using, rather than switching to email, text or phone.
