Alleged serial fraudster arrested in Co Kerry

An alleged serial fraudster has been arrested in Co Kerry in connection with an investigation into social welfare fraud.

Samantha Cookes, who is in her 30s, was arrested at a post office in Tralee, Co Kerry, yesterday morning.

Gardaí said a woman is being detained at a garda station in the south of the country and investigations are ongoing.

The woman has been charged and is due to appear before a special sitting of Tralee District Court this afternoon.

Ms Cookes was the subject of an RTÉ Doc on One podcast.

Using the alias ‘Carrie Jade Williams’, she claimed to be a young writer diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a rare genetic condition, when she contacted the RTÉ Doc on One team to enquire if they wanted to follow her journey through experimental brain surgery.

However, during production it came to light that Ms Cookes also had several other aliases around Ireland and the UK, including Rebecca, Lucy, Sadie and Claudia.

The RTÉ Doc on One podcast ‘The Real Carrie Jade’ was released last month and outlined a series of alleged frauds.