Gardaí have urged the public not to engage in a social media prank involving "AI-generated images of home intruders".
In a post on X, gardaí said that the images have resulted in the emergency deployment of gardaí to what they said were "ultimately hoax" reports of burglaries.
The images, which have been circulated on social media, feature an AI-generated man placed into the homes of people who have been sent the images.
The man is often pictured sitting on furniture or even lying in people's beds.
An Garda Síochána is aware of a trending prank circulating on social media in which a loved one is sent an AI-generated image of a home intruder.
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) October 3, 2025
Already on a number of occasions this has resulted in the emergency deployment of Gardaí to an ultimately hoax report of burglary. pic.twitter.com/GZOJD34tyD
This has then led to people believing there is an intruder in their home.
Gardaí said the callouts represent "a waste of garda resources and diverts from genuine emergency calls which require a response".
"There is a risk that legitimate emergency calls will not receive the necessary urgent attention, which poses serious concerns for those who need our immediate assistance.
"We urge everyone not to engage in this prank and to consider the consequences that may result from such activity."
