AN elderly Hamilton Hill woman is the latest victim of travelling conmen fleecing Perth home owners out of thousands of dollars.
Consumer Protection and WA Police are urging the community to help them track down the pack of conmen who are cheating unsuspecting home owners, many of them seniors, in a roofing scam.
An 83-year-old Hamilton Hill woman is among the latest to be scammed after she reportedly paid the men $7500 in cash to fix her roof.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWThe quoted her $3000 before later saying asbestos sheets had to be replaced and asking for another $4500.
The victim said the men were driving a red SUV, were either Irish, Scottish or English and had provided an invoice under the unregistered business Best Choice Home Improvements using a false ABN.
The conmen have also left victims in Mount Hawthorn, Cannington and Fremantle.
Murdoch Police senior sergeant Stephen Castledine said people should contact WA Police immediately if they believe they have been solicited by the conmen.
“Descriptions of the men and their vehicles as well as licence plate numbers would assist us greatly in locating them,” he said.
“Home owners who may have CCTV vision of the men at their home, even if they didn’t get any work done, are urged to come forward and provide the vision to police.”
Consumer Protection retail and services director Lanie Chopping said the conmen would knock on doors, convince the home owner that their roof needed urgent repairing, then charge exorbitant rates before either not doing any work or doing a sub-standard job.
“They prey on seniors and others in our community, misleading them into thinking their roof is in need of urgent repairs or painting when this is not necessarily the case,” she said.
“They then do dodgy work, if they do any work at all.
“These men are using various names of well-known and reputable local companies, attempting to gain credibility by stealing the identity of legitimate local businesses.
“We appeal to people approached by these door to door scammers to reject them completely and always get reputable tradespeople and multiple quotes before agreeing to any work being carried out.”
Locals who are approached by tradespeople offering their services door-to-door and wanting immediate payment or to carry out work straight away should call police on 131 444 if they are still on the property or in the immediate area.
If they have left the area, contact Crime Stoppers on calling 1800 333 000.