Crime evolved during the pandemic, Laois meeting told
Criminals adapted and evolved their techniques during the pandemic, the most senior policeman in Laois said.
Chief Superintendent John Scanlan said: “The landscape of crime changed during the pandemic. We are all getting text messages telling us that we have a PTSB account and you know, there has been an unusual transaction and follow the link.”
He told a meeting of the Laois Joint Policing committee that: “ I’d love to find my account in PTSB, I don’t have one and I am reliably informed in a text message that I do have one and if I follow the link I will be grand so, that type of fraud is out there.”
He said there are other online crimes as well. “Take over of accounts are out there, they are a feature of an evolving society and how we do business,” he explained.
He was asked by Cllr John King whether abusing someone on social media was a crime or not.
Addressing his comments to Minister of State Sean Fleming and Deputy Brian Stanely, Chief Supt Scanlan said: “Social media and threats on social media, whether it is a criminal offence or not, I will have to bow to the wisdom of the Oireachtas members in the room that they may move forward legislation.”