Beware of traveling con men conning old people!
Beware of unregistered traveling trades people who have been cheating old people as they come and sweet talk and then do shonky work and demand money more than they originally quoted.
Here is a video release by The Fair Trading office to warn people who should ask for their ID, licence number and advise they you do not have to pay during the 10-day cooling off period.
NSW Fair Trading has re-released its popular YouTube video, Driveway Scam ”“ don’t get fooled by dodgy tradespeople, with new information about consumer cooling off rights under the Australian Consumer Law and promoting the Travelling Conmen national hotline 1300 133 408.
Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said the video was the agency’s most popular YouTube product, with more than 18,000 views of the original version, featuring Blue Mountains bitumen bandits’ victim Peter Albery.
“Mr Albery is a classic victim of travelling conmen and generously participated in the video to help warn other consumers about the dangers of dealing with itinerant traders,” he said.
“A trusting older Australian, Mr Albery was quite open to providing employment to the Irish travelling conmen who scammed him.
“When they approached him in 2010, they told him they needed work for their families and offered to pave his driveway. He thought it was a genuine offer. He was alerted to the scam by his son, who had heard warnings from Fair Trading on local radio at the time.”
Mr Stowe said travelling conmen continued to be a scourge on consumers but Fair Trading had, at the request of Minister Anthony Roberts, initiated a national strategy in 2011 to combat traveller crimes.
“Since the national travelling conmen hotline was introduced in 2011 there have been 58 prosecutions against 54 individuals for 214 offences in New South Wales,” he said.
“More than $475,000 in fines and costs have been issued by the courts.”
Mr Stowe said the fight against conmen and gangs continued and he urged consumers to remain vigilant because travelling conmen traditionally move from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and would become active again in NSW as the weather warmed up.
“We know of gangs currently operating in Queensland who will move back into New South Wales in coming months,” he said.
“People should warn their family members and friends, particularly elderly people who are consistently targeted by travelling conmen and gangs. They will offer to do painting, roof restoration, bitumen driveways and other home building and maintenance work.
“Don’t deal with them and if you are approached by travellers, call the hotline on 1300 133 408. The sooner Fair Trading is alerted to conmen, the more effectively investigators can move against them.”
To watch Driveway Scam ”“ don’t get fooled by dodgy tradespeople, go to www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au and click on the YouTube channel on the main page.
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