A number of Kerry businesses - mostly shops - have lost thousands of Euro in the past month, after falling victim to an elaborate online scam, which has swept across Europe.
Criminals using the handle 'Half Price' or 'Half P' are operating mostly on social media platforms SnapChat and Instagram, where they offer to procure anything a user wants, for half of the asking price.
It's understood those caught by the scam, include shops in Tralee and Killarney.
Once the cash is paid by the victim, the scammers then used stolen or cloned credit cards to buy the item or service at full price.
Everything from food to hotel stays to gift vouchers have been obtained under this scam - with businesses often not finding out for many weeks that they've been caught, when their banks alert them to the fraud.
Crime Prevention Officer with the Kerry Garda Division, Sgt Mike Quirke, says several Kerry businesses have fallen victim in the last month.
He urged the public to be wary of online deals, that seem too good to be true:
