Payment fraud in Ireland reached €179.04 million in 2025, marking a 27.2% increase from the previous year, according to the Central Bank of Ireland‘s latest annual Payment Fraud Statistics released on 4 September 2026. While the number of fraudulent transactions rose only marginally, the significant jump in total value reflects a shift toward higher-value scams, particularly those involving social manipulation and cross-border transfers.
- Total Fraudulent Value 2025: €179.04 million (up 27.2% from €140.80 million in 2024)
- Fraud Prevalence: Affects approximately 1 in 10,000 payment transactions
- Authorised Push Payment Fraud Share: 45% of total fraud by value (€74.86 million), up from 35.2% in 2024
- Cross-border Fraud: 69.8% of fraudulent value (€124.89 million), up 6.3 percentage points year-on-year
- Average Fraud Values: Cheques €9,741; Credit transfers €2,412; E-money institutions €1,427
Authorised push payment fraud, commonly known as manipulation of the payer fraud, has emerged as the primary driver of the increase. This scam type, in which criminals use social engineering to trick consumers into authorising payments, now accounts for 45% of total fraud by value, up sharply from 35.2% a year earlier. The fraud is particularly prevalent in credit transfers, accounting for 67.2% of all credit transfer fraud in 2025, compared to 45.6% in 2024.
Cross-border payments represent a critical vulnerability in the payments ecosystem. These transactions accounted for 69.8% of the total fraudulent value, amounting to €124.89 million, reflecting criminals’ preference for moving stolen funds across international borders to complicate recovery efforts.
Colm Kincaid, Deputy Governor for Consumer and Investor Protection, stated that financial firms and technology companies must strengthen their systems and controls. He highlighted that 38% of fraud victims never report their experience to authorities or their financial service provider, limiting opportunities for recovery and pattern detection. The Central Bank of Ireland regulates payment service providers operating in the Irish financial system.
Colm Kincaid, Deputy Governor for Consumer and Investor Protection at the Central Bank of Ireland. Source: LinkedIn
