THE Swan Hill region is again being targeted by fake tradesmen, as police warn residents to keep an eye out.
Swan Hill police said they had received reports of asphalt scammers across the police service area, offering to repave driveways, silo-pads and roads for a discount price.
Police said the team of fake tradies were possibly driving a white van with “professional looking signage on it“ and their interactions spread as far as Annuello and Sea Lake.
The cheap-asphalt claims surfaced earlier this month, after someone in Manangatang reported that the offer didn’t seem right.
Swan Hill police acting inspector Brian Hansen said this type of scam was “nothing new” but scammers were becoming more sophisticated.
“We’ve seen this kind of thing before where people would attend houses and offer their services for a very cheap rate,” he said.
“In the past they would often be dressed like workman, with some not-very-professional-looking equipment.
“But now, we are seeing people that are a little bit more sophisticated in their technique.
“They speak like they are salespeople, they appear well-presented and their vehicles are in good condition.
“They appear to be a little bit more resourced … which in turn makes it more convincing for their potential victims.”
Insp Hansen said police were asking everyone to be aware of the scam and check credentials before hiring a tradesperson.
“You can just ask them what company they belong to and do some research into that company,” he said.
“Ask them where their business is based and if they have any other business that they are linked to.
“See if they have a legitimate business card, and you can head to the internet to search and see if it is known as a legitimate company.
“The main thing is to trust your instinct and if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”
Insp Hansen said police were looking further into reported scam.
“We’ve had people reporting sightings of these people, but we are yet to receive any definite information,” he said.
“If someone does get a hold of some more information like a name or a phone number, that information is very important for us, and gives us the opportunity to make follow-up inquiries.
“People can ring us up with any information they have regarding this.
“If they have physical information or evidence like a business card or an invoice, then please drop that into the police station and we can examine it.”
Consumer Affairs Victoria also recommends shopping around for a written quote and asking for contact details of previous clients to check references.
They also ask for victims, or those with information, to keep hold of information such as flyers and receipts, and report them to the national traveling con men hotline on 1300 133 408.
