Central Bank warns public not to do business with Catriona Carey’s firm

A company allegedly used by former international hockey player Catriona Carey to scam dozens of people with distressed property loans out of money has been described as an “unauthorised firm” by the Central Bank, which is advising people not to deal with it.

Carey featured in an RTÉ Investigates programme which alleged that Careysfort Asset Estates took deposits and offered to return the money if deals to buy their debts from lenders at a discount did not materialise.

Gardaí are investigating the payments and the manner in which they were secured after receiving a number of complaints. Careysfort Asset Estates is registered in England though Carey is based in Kilkenny.

The inquiry is being conducted by detectives in the Garda’s Carlow-Kilkenny division, who are also investigating if Carey was providing financial services without having the proper licences from the Central Bank in place, which is a criminal offence.

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The Central Bank on Thursday published the name Careysfort Asset Estates “in order to warn the public that it is not authorised by the Central Bank to provide financial services”. The company’s registered address is 22 Wenlock Road, London, England N1 7GU. Carey is the sole director.

“The Central Bank believes that Careysfort Asset Estates Limited is holding itself out as a person whose business consists wholly or partly of providing credit directly to a relevant person but it holds no authorisation from the Central Bank as a retail credit firm,” the regulator said.

“It is a criminal offence for an unauthorised firm / person to provide financial services in Ireland that would require an authorisation under the relevant legislation, which the Central Bank is the responsible body for enforcing.

“Consumers should check the Central Bank registers online to find out if a firm / person they are dealing with is authorised. Consumers should be wary of advertisements offering loans from unauthorised firms or persons.”

Carey (44), of Weir View Hill, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny, last month received a suspended prison sentence for driving without a licence or insurance while disqualified from driving. The court heard that three previous convictions had been recorded against Carey, including a speeding offence in October 2018, and an eight month suspended prison sentence handed down in February 2020 on a theft charge.