St George police say bitumen scammers on the rise across Balonne Shire local government area

St George police have warned residents of a recent increase in scam activity across the region after bitumen fraudsters were spotted in nearby Mungindi.

St George Police are warning Balonne Shire businesses and residents to be aware of tradesmen offering cheap driveway or bitumen services.

Police understand alleged bitumen scammers have recently returned to Queensland after being sighted in Mungindi.

Senior Sergeant Dan Gallagher said the supposed workers, who have accents that are not known locally, are usually a group of five to six men with vehicles that have no signage.

If payment is not made upfront, the scammers may become aggressive when the finished job is questioned and demand immediate payments before leaving without rectifying the job.

The jobs are often completed in record time however, the materials used are of very low quality and the ground is not properly prepared.

As a result, the victim could be faced with further considerable costs as the substandard material has to be removed before corrective work can be conducted.

Members of the community are urged to call Crime Stoppers or Policelink should they be approached for work by these men.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink online or call 131 444.

Alternatively you can report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers online or call 1800 333 000.