Roof rorts most common complaints about Melbourne scammers
A FERNTREE Gully man who lost $2300 to a dodgy roof repairer was among six people who fell victim to travelling conmen in Knox in last financial year.
The figures make Knox the sixth biggest hotspot for conmen in the state.
Consumer Affairs Victoria received 149 complaints about travelling conmen across the state in the past year, with almost $437,000 in reported losses.
Roofing conmen (offering services such as repairs, cleaning and painting) were the most common (102 reports), followed by driveway repairs (20 reports) and tree lopping (20 reports).
A Box Hill North World War II veteran was recently conned out of $7000 in cash by two heartless crooks.
Bruce, 91, whose surname has been withheld, was scammed by the travelling conmen on October 14, when two men “in bright yellow workmen coats” knocked on his door, offering to fix broken tiles on his roof.
Bruce paid the men $7000 but the men never did the work. He reported the con artists to Victoria Police.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz said con artists preyed on the vulnerable.
“These scammers strike after natural disasters, like floods or wild winds, when people are vulnerable and desperate to repair their homes,” Ms Kairouz said.
If you suspect a travelling conman is in your area, phone the national travelling conmen hotline on 1300 133 408.
HOW TO SPOT A CONMAN
Be suspicious of people who knock on your door or approach you unexpectedly, offering to:
● paint the house
● work on your garden or cut trees
● resurface driveways
● fix your roof.
Travelling conmen generally ask for cash upfront, and may use tactics such as offering cheap deals using words like ‘for today only’ and dropping the price if you say no.