In today’s edition of news-that-makes-us-want-to-move-to-Antarctica…
Police have set out to find two Irish men posing as road workers in Queensland, who have made a case for themselves by preying on senior members of a small community who are struggling to maintain their homes.
According to Queensland Police, the deceiving duo, who have been reported four times in the last week for scamming elderly residents, have committed crimes in the Deception Bay and Ipswich areas.
The latest incident occurred on Friday, March 10, where the men appeared on the doorstep of a 78-year-old man with a ute filled with gravel.
When the pensioner refused to pay the men until the handiwork was completed, a verbal argument followed before they restrained him and made off with roughly $1,500.
Police have released images of the two men, who they say are wearing fluoro work vests, dark trousers and work boots.
One is described by the police to be “older with a heavy build, around 175-180cm tall with short red hair.”
The second scammer is described as being “younger with a muscular build, around 180-185cm tall, having short black hair.”
Both have noticeable Irish accents.
The men are believed to be driving a white Mitsubishi Triton with Victorian registration 1FH 5ZV.
“You should be wary about anyone that tries to convince you to hire their services on the spot,” says Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Michael Hogan of Moreton South Criminal Investigation Branch.
“According to the Office of Fair Trading, genuine Door-to-Door traders must give you a cooling off period of ten business days to change your mind, not take any money during the cooling off period and not begin any service during this time.
“We are urging members of the community to be aware of this scam and to report any suspicious activity to police.”
Those with information should contact Policelink on 131 444.
