Police are urging residents to look out for one another after an elderly Werribee resident fell victim to a ‘travelling salesman’.
A man knocked on the victim’s door offering his services as a cleaner.
After cleaning the victim’s driveway, he requested a payment of $800.
Werribee detective Karina Prodan said the price he asked for was “ridiculous”, but the woman felt compelled to pass on the money.
“While this particular incident wasn’t an actual criminal offence, people need to look out for elderly family members or neighbours, and watch out for anybody going door-to-door,” she said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned elderly people to be aware of door-to-door and home maintenance scams. According to its website, these types of scams generally involve promoting goods and services that are of poor quality or not delivered at all.
“Scammers may try and sell you gardening or roofing services then bill you for additional work that you did not agree to,” the website suggests.
“Sometimes they may pretend to conduct a survey to get your personal details or disguise their sales pitch until they have been talking to you for a while.”
The ACCC has issued a list of warning signs that indicate a scam, including:
- Late night visits or multiple visits after rejecting their services.
- Lack of identification, no identification provided and no written quotes or receipts issued.
- Demanding that offers be accepted on the spot.
- Asking for a deposit or full payment that can only be paid by cash or credit card.
- Failure to tell of legal rights, including rights to a cooling-off period.
Other scams the ACCC warns against include dating and romance offers, shonky investment schemes, and dodgy advice about buying and selling goods or services.
For more information, head to www.scamwatch.gov.au
