An Garda Siochána warn of 'forceful' bogus callers operating throughout Donegal

An Garda Síochána has issued a warning about bogus callers in the county.

Gardaí received reports in relation to bogus callers who were encountered in the Inishowen area over the past week, in Buncrana and Clonmany, but stressed that incidents are happening throughout Donegal.

“Bogus callers may offer services such as powerwashing, painting, tarmacking etc,” gardaí said. “They may be offering goods for sale such as tools, generators etc. They generally prefer to target the more vulnerable and people who live alone. We advise people not to engage with such callers.

“Keep in mind that these callers could show up in any part of Donegal and in various types of vehicles. The callers in question this week were offering power washing and painting services and were quite forceful in their manner. Don't open your door to anyone before you are confident that they are known to you or that they have a genuine reason to be there.

“Use a chain lock for added security. These callers can be intimidating and often refuse to take no for an answer. Contact Gardaí immediately should you encounter such a caller and try to give as much information as possible, description of person, registration number, direction of travel etc. We ask you to always be vigilant when out and about and report suspicious people/vehicles to us immediately.

“Please advise others who may be vulnerable to having bogus callers call to their home. Keep your local 24/7 Garda Station number somewhere you can access it easily and do not hesitate to contact us if you think that there is a bogus caller on your property.”

Letterkenny 074-9167100; Milford 074-9153060; Buncrana 074-9320540; Ballyshannon 071-9858530. Always call 999 or 112 in an emergency.