A farmer in the midlands was recently the victim of a fraudster who scammed him out of a large sum of money.

An individual posing as a Department of Agriculture inspector arrived at his farm and told the farmer he was there to undertake an unannounced inspection. The individual viewed livestock and housing facilities before informing the farmer that he was non-compliant.

He told the farmer he was facing a significant fine which would affect his farm payments.

However, the fraudulent inspector offered the farmer the opportunity to pay several hundred euro there and then to avoid a larger fine.

The farmer in question, fearful of the impact of a larger fine, paid the money but later realised that the inspector was in fact a fraud, simply posing as a Department official, and that he had been scammed out of the money.

Warning

In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, the Department warned members of the public to be vigilant for scams and fraudsters.

A spokesperson said farmers should be aware that all inspectors from the Department have to be authorised and carry an authorisation card containing photo ID.

“Department inspectors should never ask you for money or bank details and suspicious behaviour should be reported to An Garda Síochána.”

Garda crime statistics released this week show that fraud has increased massively this year, with a 72% increase in reported fraud in the 12 months to September 2021, compared with the previous 12-month period.

Farmers are encouraged to report any fraudulent activity to the relevant authorities.