"GAA star in alleged scam" Mod Note on page 1 and 2

dobman88

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/leading-gaa-star-at-centre-of-garda-probe-for-alleged-1m-fraud-42337254.html

Almost a million euro is some going.

Threadbanned users Brokenbad, Get langer In for 2 weeks upto 29/2 Gusser09 and Caoimhin19 upto 4/3

Mod Note

A few posts deleted.

As the alleged player has yet to be named officially and it is an ongoing case, kindly do not mention names or try to give indications mentioning words/terms/videos etc that would give an idication as to who he is.

Warnings and bans will be applied to those who do.

dobman88

Non pay wall here

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gardai-investigating-household-name-gaa-29187739.amp

You'd need some brass neck to go about something involving this much money if it's true

evolvingtipperary101

Is it an ex-player? I really hope it's not who I think it is.

Devastating stuff for the victims and everyone involved.

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120226358#Comment_120226358

It would sound like an ex player the way it reads. They mention that an excuse used was the money was for cancer treatment and a comment at the end says lifelong friendships are ruined after it.

It's a fairly mental story. Hopefully there is some way, however unlikely, that the people involved get something back.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283796/gaa-star-in-alleged-scam

all a bit weird that word didn’t get out cat he had cancer. Must have tapped up a few wealthy individuals I guess

The HorsesMouth

I've heard this eve who it is...it's spreading like wild fire. If it's true....it's not massively surprising!

deise man

What county?

FourFourRED

Give us a clue

Fred Astaire

Heard he took a high profile teammate for 25k. Christ.

chooseusername

Say it ain’t so j.

ShamoBuc

Mod Note

A few posts deleted.

As the alleged player has yet to be named officially and it is an ongoing case, kindly do not mention names or try to give indications mentioning words/terms/videos etc that would give an idication as to who he is.

Warnings and bans will be applied to those who do.

Bobtheman

I think I know what you mean by not massively surprising. Reading between the lines

Larbre34

I think the World and its mother know who is under investigation at this stage and its a very sad and bewildering situation.

A couple of ex Politicians were tapped, so the story goes, for amounts of €120k. The first one handed it over and the second was tapped having already heard about the first, but instead of handing it over, he asked for bank transfer details for the US hospital where this treatment was all supposed to be taking place. When that wasn't forthcoming, it would seem that that was when the Gardaí were alerted to a potential problem. And here things are.

Did you smash it

I’ve heard he faked a heart attack when arrested

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232739#Comment_120232739

He's obviously not well in the head if he's acting like that.

Beechwoodspark

Heard a lot more about this earlier. Yes, this dude is very much a sick puppy. Not right in the head for years.

Bobtheman

It's tragic for the family.

If you are going to do fraud then you'd want to design a better one than this where you are not directly named. People can't link it to you.

Kind of stupid to directly tap people

tabby aspreme

Is there an addiction problem behind this, the scourge of gambling is ever present around all sports

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233222#Comment_120233222

Interesting to see someone criticised because the quality of their fraud wasn't good enough.

Packrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120226556#Comment_120226556

I think you'll like the answer.

Hope this helps.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233268#Comment_120233268

I think it's more in line with depression - Lost a lot of money from losing his business and pretty much was millions in debt. Tried to scam it back

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233334#Comment_120233334

But how on earth did he think he'd get away with it!?

PeggyShippen

It's outrageous in its audacity and absolute zero prospects of success.

zetecescort

How long ago did this happen? I mean Ireland being as small as it is I would have thought if somebody reasonably famous was raising money for treatment of a serious illness it would be very hard to keep it out of the papers or general gossip on the street

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233404#Comment_120233404

Miracle cure due to the million dollar treatment, of course.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233422#Comment_120233422

The alleged scamming? Its a current situation.

evolvingtipperary101

A man whose wife was diagnosed with cancer believes he was targeted by a prominent GAA star who claimed he had the same form of the disease and needed money to travel to America for treatment.

The high-profile former player is being investigated by gardai for fraud and deception.

The couple, from Co Kilkenny, agreed to lend €5,000 to the retired player, but now believe they were targeted because of the wife’s life-threatening disease.

“He is both cunning and conniving. I was targeted and groomed after my wife was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He approached me offering to support us, but soon asked for money,” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“There was empathy and concern in his voice. He told me he had the same cancer as my wife and talked about how he had received revolutionary treatment in Seattle.” He added: “We don’t believe any of it was true.”

The couple, whose story is similar to other accounts provided to gardai, are among a list of people who are co-operating with a fraud inquiry into allegations of deception by the sports personality.

The alleged victims claim they were deceived into lending and donating cash to the retired GAA player to pay for stem cell treatment.

The suspect is believed to have collected approximately €250,000 from friends, acquaintances and business associates. One man is alleged to have provided a loan of €120,000.

Detectives carried out a search of a room at a hotel in Kilkenny where the suspect was staying last December. A mobile phone and documents were seized by gardai. Investigators are continuing to take statements from witnesses.

Detectives are trying to establish whether the suspect was ever given a cancer diagnosis but do not believe he has travelled to the United States for treatment. The Sunday Times was unable to contact the sporting figure despite exhaustive efforts last week.

The family of the GAA star are reeling from shock. It is understood they were unaware of the garda investigation and have not had recent contact with him. It is not clear where the former athlete is now living and it is believed that his phone number has recently been changed.

People in the man’s home town say they have not seen or heard from him in a number of months, and some have expressed concern for his welfare.

“I’d be very worried about him,” said one man who knew him. “If the rumours are true then something is wrong,” another local said.

The alleged victim who spoke to The Sunday Times said the suspect was “really convincing” but that he now believed he had never had cancer.

“He claimed he had an elite sporting status in the US and was due free medicare but it wasn’t possible for him to get cover so he needed the money fast. He said his insurance would cover the cost. We talked it through. We gave him the money,” the man said.

The couple agreed to lend €5,000 to the suspect in June 2021 after he called to say he needed money to cover the cost of travelling to the US to receive a booster injection of stem cells. They became suspicious after mutual friends warned them not to lend him cash.

The suspect repaid the money six months after the couple threatened they were going to report the matter to the gardai or contact journalists.

“He kept on telling me the money was being transferred but there was an issue with the bank,” said the woman, who has made a statement to gardai. “He subsequently did repay the money in full. He brought €5,000 in cash to the house.”

Gardai confirmed that an inquiry was under way into allegations of fraud in the eastern division.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233452#Comment_120233452

It just shows you how messed up in the head he must be now to think he could pull a 'ta-dah' moment and fake a recovery from his fake illness.

Some people might be that thick, but not many. And certainly not people with a few hundred grand of liquidity that could afford to be writing him cheques.

Its all pretty grotesque.

walterking

Whilst what he is alleged to have done is bad, I dislike the way it has become fodder for the media without a care in the world of the mental health aspect of what they write

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233574#Comment_120233574

What mental health aspect?

Comhrá

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233404#Comment_120233404

"I think it's more in line with depression - Lost a lot of money from losing his business and pretty much was millions in debt. Tried to scam it back"

Depression is a strange and insidious demon. It manifests itself in the most bizarre ways.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232811#Comment_120232811

He’s not , I actually feel bad for him , no excuse for thieving but some of the things I’ve heard are shocking

(getting out of a date by saying he’s in hospital and pretending headphones are a drip )

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233588#Comment_120233588

Just by needing to ask says a lot about your understanding of mental health

bucketybuck

When the cancer bluff doesn't work just play the mental health card, problem solved!

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233591#Comment_120233591

Very true no doubt but it is strange to have someone 'diagnosed' publicly with depression on a forum like this as an explanation for their actions.

davidx40

If all this is proven to be true , I find it very hard to see how this person could live with the shame of it for himself and his own family .......it is really sad and so wrong ...... You would have to think their mental health is in a very dangerous place

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233620#Comment_120233620

No he’s been very fragile for years , very paranoid

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233612#Comment_120233612

Not sure what you mean. You were saying there is a mental health aspect to this case. Just wondering what you meant.

BagofWeed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233669#Comment_120233669

Paranoid alright.. of getting caught !

cson

"Fragile".

Making excuses for him on mental health grounds really dilutes the struggles of those who don't resort to criminality in dealing with the challenges.

PTH2009

Stuff I'm reading here and who I think it might be is very surprising and if so will be a huge legacy fucked away

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233680#Comment_120233680

It's the way the trash media are reporting it which can very quickly result in mental health issues.

In a previous life I worked in mental health services and have seen first hand how the manner of media reporting and commentary can affect people very quickly with catastrophic results.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233733#Comment_120233733

Well it was really obvious he was cracking up on he had nobody in his corner to stop it

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233755#Comment_120233755

Honestly I’d say people will separate the man from the hurler in his legacy

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233789#Comment_120233789

Yeah newspaper report said his family were shocked as they had no idea this was going on,and hadn't been in contact with him recently

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233755#Comment_120233755

You don't have to guess, twitter will tell you.

In the past there were allegations of some impropriety around some business debt and liquidations and what not, but these allegations are next level grim.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233785#Comment_120233785

The media aren't naming him at all.

Besides, if the allegations are true, there is no excusing it with mental health difficulties.

I've known mental health problems in the past myself and, funnily enough, it didn't turn me into a calculating, deceptive, grand scale fraud.

Allegedly.

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233868#Comment_120233868

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233853#Comment_120233853

Netflix series in the making about 'fame' 'struggles keeping a job and sport 'retirement', 'dark days' etc

'The XX in da house' indeed

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233856#Comment_120233856

I've heard that he's currently staying with another former player who has in the past served time for indecent assault. Talk about a downward spiral.

(Mods, I don't think this post contravenes Post #11 but please remove if you believe it does)

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233856#Comment_120233856

Id imagine the family were pre-occupied with the other matter and didnt notice.

Amazing really. Bad stuff. The couple who had gone through cancer and he uses that to scam them out of 5k. Thats just bad out.

It'll come out in the wash no doubt. Thousands spent on designer clothes on florida or 1st class flights or something. Maybe a new BMW sitting on the drive.

Dodge

People should be more worried about the mental health of the people scammed by this fraudster rather than his IMO