Fake tradies ready to strike as summer approaches

A Burwood woman who paid $750 to a persuasive man promising to fix her fence was shocked when he used an unlikely household item to prop it up while he completed the “shonky work”.

People are being warned to be wary of fake tradies this summer.

As the temperature rises, so does the prevalence of fake tradies prowling around suburbs and those in Melbourne’s east and south are most likely to be caught out.

Victoria Police and the State Government are warning people about the fraudsters, who often spruik home improvement works for a seemingly cheap price, only for the ‘workers’ to bail after incomplete or shonky work.

Residents in the South East Metro region reported the highest number of fake tradies activity across the state, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria, with almost $1 million worth of financial detriment during the 2018-19 financial year.

Those in Boroondara (25) and Whitehorse (25) reported the most, followed by Monash (19), Kingston (13), Glen Eira (11), Manningham (10), Mornington Peninsula (eight) and Stonnington (eight).

Sally paid $750 upfront for work by ‘Pat’ after this brochure was dropped in her Burwood letterbox.

Monash Inspector Paul Robotham said this time of year was the worst for these types of activities, with Monash’s elderly demographic “more open to be exploited”.

“They tend to cold call people … ask for cash upfront and focus on the vulnerable,” he said.

“If it’s too good to be true, it usually is. If someone is offering to do a $4000 roof job for $1000, it’s a fair chance it’s dodgy.”

Insp Robotham also said that in his experience, many of the fake tradies appeared to be Irish.

“Last year they were fairly highly significant — they were over-represented as a group,” he said.

A CAV spokeswoman, who refused to be named, said roofing and cladding scams were the most popular service offered in the region, accounting for more than half of contacts.

One such person to be affected was Burwood resident, Sally (not her real name).

Receiving a brochure in the letterbox, Sally contacted ‘Pat’ about a side fence which needed to be rebuilt while her husband was overseas, with concrete stumping.

She paid $750 upfront — while avoiding a “persuasive” argument that she also needed to get her roof fixed.

“They went to Bunnings to get the concrete and then used my own curtain rods from outside my garage, to prop up the fence,” she said.

“Of course it didn’t hold, the curtain rods bent and I thought, ‘This is just shonky’.

“The concrete didn’t set, the fence started to fall over … and then I started to get really angry because I’m a pretty honest person.”

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Sally, 62, said she had since become “completely paranoid” about anything which came into her letterbox.

“I can’t assume every flyer is shonky, but it’s made me really wary,” she said.

“It’s made me jaundiced about trusting anyone coming to my house to do work.

“I feel vulnerable and, if I feel vulnerable … I don’t know how older people on their own manage this.”

Almost $3 million was lost by Victorians last year, a 200 per cent increase.

People are reminded to use established tradespeople who provide written quotes, be cautious of those seeking upfront payment and to not sign any agreement which did not seem legitimate.

To learn about fake tradies, visit the website and to report an interaction, phone [phone].