Courts / Dublin / Report
Woman who wanted money for surgery avoids jail over €72k email fraud
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jessica Serra, aged 30, received a two‑year suspended sentence for laundering €72,000 that was fraudulently transferred from Bus Eireann to a misdirected GoBus bank account. The fraud began when Bus Eireann updated its bank details after receiving an email from a GoBus address in October 2019. The money was never received by GoBus, leading Gardaí to freeze the account and arrest Serra. She claimed a man offered her €3,000 to use his account, which she declined at first but later accepted after learning her surgery in Turkey would cost €6,000. At the time of the fraud, only €44,000 remained in her account. Serra had no prior convictions, was originally from Italy, and had worked as a babysitter and at Dunnes Stores. She was described as vulnerable, suffering from depression, and concerned about her father's health.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman who wanted money for surgery avoids jail over €72k email fraud. Charges or matters: laundering €72,000. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-06-29 Publication
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