The motor trade has been warned to be on the watch out for scam artists, who are trying to purchase workshop equipment, using stolen credit cards. The warning comes from two leading suppliers, who were exposed to the scam earlier this week.

In the first instance the workshop equipment supplier was asked to deliver workshop equipment to an address in Drumcondra 9. The scam artist supplied Credit Card details for two separate cards, both of which were declined by the Merchant Bank. Subsequent investigations proved that the Credit Cards had been reported stolen. The scam artist used a 085 mobile number.

The supplier reported the incident to AutoTrade.ie and a general alert was issued to all trade contracts. Meanwhile, the con-artist, using the same mobile phone number and name, contacted a second workshop supplier in the Dublin area. The second supplier having read the AutoTrade.ie alert, declined to do business with the scam artist.