GARDAÍ HAVE ASKED the public to be aware of “misinformation currently in circulation online” regarding a situation that occurred outside a school in Dublin today, in which a man with limited English was asking passersby if he could use their internet to contact his family. 

Gardaí said they responded to reports of “an alleged incident” from members of the public in Finglas but that no crime had been committed. 

The force said the man’s requests for help had been misinterpreted and that gardaí took the man with them to provide assistance. 

False reports about the incident have spread on social media an on messaging apps like WhatsApp. 

Please be aware of misinformation currently in circulation online and through direct messaging apps that is related to an alleged incident at Finglas this morning.

Thank you. pic.twitter.com/v4FPMiwi3Z

— Garda Info (@gardainfo) October 4, 2024

“No criminal offence was committed and An Garda Síochána is satisfied that this person did not pose a threat to the public,” a statement posted by the force on social media said.

Messages about the man near the school, seen by The Journal, feature claims that the he was offering children sweets as a means to entice them into his car. 

They also show that people misinterpreted the situation when he left with gardaí. 

An Garda Síochana said he had not been arrested and advised the public, public figures and media organisations to independently verify information. 

This year has seen a number of examples where misinformation has been spread about alleged incidents near schools or involving children. 

False reports of child abductions or abduction attempts are often picked up by racist, far-right influencers who spread them online. Anti-immigrant groups seek to draw a connection between immigrants and criminal activity, but Gardaí have said there is no such connection. 

In August, Gardaí hit out at misinformation about an alleged child abduction in Finglas that did not happen. 

Another similar case occurred earlier the same month, when an anti-immigration Facebook group called Dundalk Says No spread a false report of child abduction.