Woman charged in relation to north coast online holiday scam

A 23-year-old woman arrested in the Belfast area today, Wednesday 12th October, on suspicion of multiple counts of fraud by false representation has been formally charged

The woman was arrested in connection with an investigation into a scam when advertisements were falsely posted on social media of a property to rent in the Portrush area.

Images of a genuine house, unbeknown to its owners, were used to dupe victims into paying deposits for the accommodation.

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Detective Sergeant Gardiner said: "The victims used PayPal to pay sizeable deposits of several hundred pounds, the suspect always requesting they do so through the Friends and Family payment function.

"However, after payment, the victims did not receive any further information and in many cases were blocked by the profile. The result was that the victim was left out of pocket and their hopes of a summer getaway dashed.
 
"We believe at least 24 people fell foul of this fraud and there may be others out there who have lost deposits. We would ask that they contact us on 101 so we have a fuller picture on the extent of this scam.

“This arrest is an important development in our ongoing investigation and sends an important message that your actions have consequences. An online crime hiding behind bogus names does not mean that we will not come knocking on your door.”

The woman has been charged with 24 counts of fraud by false representation and will appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on November 9.

"As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service," added a spokesperson.