The last provisional crime rates of Ireland show an alarming growth in the number of fraud offences, despite the fact that most of the traditional types of crime are on the decline.

According to the figures issued by An Garda Síochána, property and violent criminality have decreased in 2025, but economic criminality, in particular, fraud and Internet fraud, has increased strongly, raising alarm among law enforcement and consumer protection organisations.

Provisional data given by the national police agency point to a terrible rise in fraud offences by 137 per cent in the year 2025 relative to 2024. The increase involves a number of types of fraud and financial offenses, which is one of the most notable spikes in the crime rates.

The figures reflect especially high increases in:

Besides these, the number of bogus tradesman cases reported rose by 43 per cent, and this stresses how offline fraudsters are evolving with the digital ones.

Gardaí explained some of the growth in the number of reports of fraud by referring to a backlog of reporting in the previous years, though they pointed out that a major aspect of the growth was driven by online wrongdoing and fraud that took advantage of the online platform.

In comparison, the recent statistics are much more optimistic in relation to numerous classic types of crimes.An Garda Síochánasays that:

These reductions were also evident in various regions of the country. In the north-west, the decline in non-aggravated burglaries in the area was 34 per cent, and the southern part of the country also experienced massive declines.

Violent and sexual crimes also dropped, and the incidences of rape and sexual assault had plummeted by 12 per cent. There was no difference in the number of murder and manslaughter cases, and 40 incidents were reported in the years 2024 and 2025.

The disproportionate increase in fraud is a reflection of broader international trends inonline fraud and online-facilitated crime, wherein it is becoming easier for criminals to focus on individuals and businesses over the internet. The government has cautioned that the more financial dealings and personal interactions are carried out digitally, the more the chances of exploitation increase.

Source: International Business Times UK