Gardaí in Roscommon are currently investigating a number of Investment Frauds.
A total of €40,000 was sent to scammers in recent weeks by victims.
In one incident a male in his mid-forties reported that he had sent almost €20,000 to a bogus crypto currency broker, believing he was making an investment.
It turned out the broker did not exist and the funds were lost.
Similarly a man in his early forties reported investing €12,500 in crypto currency via a website which was revealed to be fake.
In a third incident, a women in her 50's reported receiving a convincing call from a scammer purporting to be from Bank of Ireland.
They managed to gain access to her account and €8,000 was lost.
Sergeant Damien Bartley, crime prevention officer for Longford-Roscommon, has these tips for avoiding investment scams.
"Search crypto currencies before making any investments. There are many different types. Do not respond to pop-up ads, social media ads, messages, and do not follow links from pop-up ads on social media. Always be wary of unsolicited contact from persons unknown. Be very wary when the investment is being endorsed by a celebrity or famous business people. They may not know their name is attached to the advertisement. Do not download suggested apps and never allow another person to take control of your computer".
