Man arrested after five Kerry businesses scammed out of money

A man has been arrested after five shops in Kerry were scammed out of money using pre-paid credit cards.

The incidents happened within a number of days, and involved Swirl cards, which are pre-paid Mastercards that can be topped up in shops before being used online or in store.

Five businesses in Kerry lost money in this scam, which sees Swirl cards being topped up but not being paid for, as the shop assistant is distracted while it’s swapped for a blank, and the scammer leaves without paying.

Garda Patricia Fitzpatrick of Tralee Garda Station says although a suspect has been caught, shopkeepers need to be mindful of this scam occurring in the future.