Devastating emotional impact of online scams must force government action 

  • Which? Magazine is urgently calling for the government to outline its plans to tackle scams on online platforms, as new research exposes the devastating emotional consequences of online scams for victims 
  • After reviewing 16 research papers and datasets from across the world and from UK police, Which? found victims suffer personal harm from fraud regardless of whether they lost money or were reimbursed
  • Action Fraud data, shared with Which?, identifies 300-350 fraud reports a week where victims show signs of severe emotional distress – equalling up to 18,000 reports a year 
  • Action Fraud also received 241 phone calls between January and November 2020 where a ‘threat to life’ was flagged 
  • For the full story, click here 

     

    Gardaí arrest 3 men attempting to blackmail an OnlyFans user in Ireland  

    • Gardaí in Blanchardstown have arrested three men suspected of attempting to blackmail a woman with images she uploaded to the Onlyfans website 
    • Onlyfans is a platform which allows users to upload images and videos of themselves and charge subscribers for access, and is commonly used for material of an intimate or pornographic nature and has become increasingly popular in Ireland over the last year 
    • The woman contacted Gardaí (the Irish police) and Ceartas, an organisation that assists OnlyFans users who are being exploited or blackmailed 
    • The Garda planned an operation where the woman agreed to meet the blackmailer and hand over the money
    • The meeting was planned for 4pm on Wednesday in Blanchardstown. When three men showed up to collect the money, they were arrested by undercover Gardaí from Blanchardstown 
    • For the full story, select here 

       

      Anorexia: Coroner’s concern overeating disorder deaths under-reporting 

      • A coroner has spoken of concerns over a possible “significant under-reporting” of eating disorders following the deaths of five women who had anorexia 
      • Sean Horstead said in a report there was a “lack of robust and reliable data” around the illness 
      • Simon Brown, whose daughter Emma died in 2018, said it laid out “some of the key things that have to change” 
      • The Department for Health and Social Care said it was “important… everyone gets the mental health support” needed 
      • For the full story, select here
      • For more information regarding eating behaviours, read out recent article here 

        Thomas McKenna: Former GAA official to stand trial for sex abuse 

          • A former Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club official in Ireland who is accused of sexually abusing 23 people over a 27-year period has been ordered to stand trial
          • The 60-year-old, is a former treasurer of the Crossmaglen Rangers GAA club in County Armagh 
          • He faces 173 charges, including raping three males, sexual activity with a child and 64 charges of sexual assault 
          • It has been alleged that the offences took place over a 27-year period between September 1991 and August 2018 
          • For the full story, select here 

           

           

          Two teenagers placed in foster care after weight loss plan fails 

            • Two teenagers have been removed from their parents’ care after social services raised concerns about their weight to a Family Court Judge 
            • The judge, Gillian Ellis, ruled that the children from Sussex be taken into long-term foster care. She described the case as “very sad and unusual”
            • Social services staff at West Sussex County Council told the judge about their concerns and the local authority had provided Fitbits (fitness trackers) and paid for gym membership for the family, who had also signed up to Weight Watchers 
            • The judge said months after Family Court proceedings began there had been no reduction in the children’s weight, and they had not provided recordings from their Fitbits or attended the Weight Watchers appointments consistently 
            • Judge Ellis said there were also concerns about poor home conditions and a lack of guidance on personal care. 
            • For the full story, select here