Victorian police are warning country residents of con men believed to be travelling across Australia promising cheap concrete and bitumen work and delivering a poor and incomplete product.
A decade ago, the Office of Fair Trading investigated similar reports of a dodgy door-to-door trader targeting residents in Nambour, Queensland.
The scammers now under scrutiny seem to be using a similar approach, and police are urging caution in regional and rural communities, saying if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Sergeant Brian McCormack, a police officer with four decades of experience, said dodgy bitumen dealings had been happening for years all over the country.
"Even this year, from January … the same crew has been in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria targeting different country towns," he said.
Leftover hot bitumen offered cheaply
The Golden Country Motel and Caravan Park in the Victorian town of Maryborough was targeted by a man peddling leftover bitumen last year.
Co-owner Dirk Arnold said he and wife, Terri, were out of town when the manager of the business was offered "leftover hot bitumen" to fill in potholes and cracks in the car park.
Mr Arnold agreed for the work to be carried out for about $5,000, but returned to find "sloppy" work and a "ridiculous" invoice for $22,000.
"When someone rings you up and says, 'We've got some leftover asphalt,' alarm bells need to ring," Mr Arnold said.
"There's no such thing, but we didn't know that at the time."
Mr Arnold said while the business had not paid "a cent" for the poor job, he was still cleaning up the mess left behind — scraping up loose gravel and re-applying spray-paint markings on a regular basis.
"We've had to draw lines so people know where they're parking, but they disappear, so I'm doing that once a month," he said.
"For the last year — it's just been a headache."
Buyer beware
Sergeant McCormack said anyone approached with an offer of cheap "leftover" bitumen should be wary.
"Generally, the run-of-the-mill standard line is, 'We've been contracted to do the work on the highways and we have leftover bitumen available … and so that's how we are able to offer a cheap deal today'," he said.
"They're well-rehearsed in what they do, because they've been doing it for so long.
"It even seems to be intergenerational, fathers passings onto sons."
Sergeant McCormack said penalties for dishonest work varied and it could be difficult to bring "slick" scammers to justice.
"If a member of the public was to approach police and tell them of their situation, they may well get the response … 'Well, this is a civil matter'," he said.
"But … if they are deceptive in their approach, police could look at theft by deception."
People approached by businesses claiming to provide bitumen services are urged to ask for references from previous customers and a written quotation prior to works commencing.
Anyone who suspects they've been targeted by the scam is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.
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