Over the past two years, a total of 128 suspected passport fraud cases have been referred to An Garda Síochána, reports Breaking News.
According to the Passport Service, there were also 86 instances where passport applications were denied due to suspicions they were fraudulent or concerns about the applicant’s identity.
In the first six months of this year, 28 suspected fraud cases were passed on to Gardaí, and 22 applications were rejected over concerns they were not genuine, reports Breaking News.
Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs also highlights the remarkable volume of passports reported as lost or stolen.
Over the latest two-year span, 57,280 passports were reported missing by Irish citizens—averaging about 2,400 each month.
In the same timeframe, 4,648 individuals informed the Passport Service that their passports had been stolen, either while travelling or from their homes, reports Breaking News.
A significant number of passports also had to be reissued due to extensive damage.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, 8,414 passports fell into this damaged category, according to the Department.
The figures also show that certain time periods experienced notable increases in both losses and suspected fraud, reports Breaking News.
In the second quarter of 2024, more than 9,000 passports were declared lost—the highest three-month figure in the two-year period.
That same quarter also saw 1,236 passports replaced because they were damaged, reports Breaking News.
Passport fraud referrals to Gardaí remained consistently elevated, with 22 cases being reported in both Q3 of 2023 and Q3 of 2024.
When asked about the data, a spokesperson explained that losing or having a passport stolen poses risks to citizens’ personal information and can lead to fraudulent use, reports Breaking News.
He said: “The Passport Service ensures that passports reported as lost or stolen are cancelled and notified to Interpol at the earliest opportunity. Once the passport is cancelled and notified to Interpol, it is no longer valid for travel,” reports Breaking News.
The spokesperson also noted that substantial resources have been invested in the Integrity Section of the Passport Service and that all suspected fraud cases are forwarded to Gardaí, reports Breaking News.
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