Stop travelling conmen

11/06/2021

‼️ Bitumen bandits in City of Bunbury in Western Australia ‼️
Consumer Protection WA Senior Regional Officer Annetta reports that driveway-layers offering to work for cash are in Waroona, Harvey, Myalup and Australind. They're calling themselves "Henry" and "Jim". One has a Scottish accent, black hair, looks about 30 and is skinny. The other has an English accent, round face, dark hair and looks about 45. There were four other young men with tattoos. They have numerous vehicles with Queensland plates, including a truck with hot tar or blue metal, a four wheel drive and a bobcat. Say NO ❌

02/06/2021

The Bitumen Bandits are back at it in NSW. NSW Fair Trading have received reports from consumers that the travelling conmen were active in the Tamworth, Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and Forster areas in the month of May. They offer cheap labour, usually bitumen laying or roofing, and disappear with consumers’ money. Read more: https://www.nsw.gov.au/department-of-customer-service/news-and-events/news/consumers-warned-travelling-conmen-active-nsw?fbclid=IwAR3yO3mgSc4_KXHBhi3ohNW2IO2ee3_u3-3VMdaYrav1WsrhTJpQxufpzFI

09/03/2020

Although we haven’t had any reports of travelling conmen or unlicensed traders, we know the calm after the storm is often when they go door-to-door, offering cheap deals.

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping After recent cyclones and storms there will be many Western Australians who have been cleaning-up and are now looking to fix property damage, such as roof or fence repairs.

03/03/2020

A Wodonga resident reported fake tradies resealing driveways with materials 'left over from a previous job' - often a tell-tale sign of a dodgy operator. When confronted about the poor quality, they became threatening and demanded payment for the unfinished work straight away. Please see and share the tips at consumer.vic.gov.au/faketradies.

Explains how Victorian businesses and consumers can avoid fake tradies (also known as travelling con men).

24/02/2020

🚫Drive away bitumen bandits!🚫

Western Australians should say NO if approached by tradies claiming to have leftover bitumen from roadworks and offering to lay driveways at reduced prices.

We’ve had reports of tradies falsely claiming to have leftover material from a job for Main Roads - Main Roads confirmed to us that it was not people who had been working for them.

Driveway-laying is generally expensive and something you should get multiple quotes for to compare price and value. Remember cheapest isn’t necessarily best.

You should also do some research into the business and if possible see examples of their previous work and read client testimonials or references. Better still use someone recommended by either a family member or friend you trust.

If you have concerns about an approach from a tradesperson, call Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54 or email [email protected]. If the tradie is threatening you, contact the police immediately.

Image credit Northern Territory Consumer Affairs

18/02/2020

‘Bitumen bandits’ made inroads into the Ararat area with well-worn tactics. Tradesmen pressured a local woman into resurfacing the driveway with a ‘today only’ deal. She became suspicious that there were no logos on their clothing or trucks. They were also using gravel, not bitumen. The men fled when she asked for more information about their business. Read the Stawell Times-News' report: bit.ly/CommunityWarning. For more information on how to avoid fake tradies, visit: bit.ly/FakeTradies.

Ararat residents are being warned to be on alert, as reports of tradespeople door knocking and offering services at a cheap price across the region have come...

06/08/2019

The Queensland Office of Fair Trading is warning consumers of itinerant trader reports received in the Gympie area offering driveway repairs and bitumen services. If you think you have seen these traders, contact the Office of Fair Trading on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) so we can track their movements and warn other consumers.

29/05/2019

Fake tradies can target older Australians and leave shoddy work in their wake. Margaret lost over $10,000 to fake tradies after she hired them to fix her guttering: 'Three days and they were done. I think they must have put it up with chewing gum.' Watch Margaret recount her experience, on Consumer Affairs Victoria's website: bit.ly/Margaret-video

03/05/2019

Victoria Police have arrested two alleged fake tradies said to be operating a roofing repairs scam in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Read The Age's report at bit.ly/AllegedScamArrests.
For more tips to protect yourself, visit: consumer.vic.gov.au/faketradies

The Irish nationals are alleged to have used money scammed from victims to buy designer clothes and Rolex watches.

15/04/2019

‘Bitumen bandits’ (dodgy driveway layers) in Western Australia

Reports this afternoon that travelling conmen known as "Bitumen Bandits" are operating in the Toodyay area. Consumer Protection warns residents not to deal with these tradies who knock on your door and offer a supposedly cheap deal to fix your driveway because they have some left over material from a previous job. Their deal ends up not so cheap and the quality of the work is poor.

15/04/2019

NSW Fair Trading has received information that ‘bitumen-bandits’ are targeting consumers around Nyngan, Bourke and Dubbo. These people drive around in vans (some branded with what appears to be a legitimate business name), knock on doors and offer to do driveways or lay bitumen. The result is an expensive and badly done job. Be wary of any unsolicited workers coming to your door, ask them for identification and check with NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20 that they are legitimate tradespeople.

29/03/2019

Consumer Protection WA and the Western Australia Police Force are trying to hunt down travelling conmen who're ripping off homeowners, many of them seniors. The photo shown is of a botched job done for an 81 year old woman who paid the scammers $7,500 in cash after they knocked on her door and convinced her the roof needed repairs and painting. The men, with either Irish, Scottish or English accents, provided an invoice under the unregistered business name of Best Choice Home Improvements using a false ABN. They were driving a red SUV.

Consumer Protection and the WA Police Force are making a desperate plea to the community to help them hunt down travelling conmen who are ripping off Perth home owners, many of them seniors, in a roofing scam.