An elderly lady, who lives alone, was pressurised into paying “an extortionate price” for 12 chainsaws, 11 generators, seven power washers and assorted other tools, which she has no use for and did not want.
The lady handed over a substantial amount of money made up of several cheques, most of which were cancelled before being cashed.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have also been a victim of such a crime to contact them. Gardaí are also asking that people make elderly family members, neighbours or friends aware of the incident.
“If you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours and see or hear about bogus traders doing the rounds, let them and ourselves know so we can put out additional patrols,” said crime prevention officer, Sergeant Tony Davis.
“If you suspect that anyone who calls to your door selling goods or services is not who they say they are, tell them you are not interested and call the Gardaí immediately."
If a person calls to your door offering you professional trade services or selling goods and you are worried that it is a scam, tell the caller that you never employ tradespeople or buy goods from people who ‘cold call’ to your door. Ask for a brochure or documentation so you can carry out checks and verify their credibility. This should include a contact number and a VAT registration number. Be careful of documentation that only displays mobile contact numbers or incomplete addresses. If you are satisfied that the company or individual(s) are credible and you want to make a purchase, ask for an itemised written quotation for the exact goods/services being offered.Never rely on the accuracy of the information, always verify the information yourself. Always seek comparable estimates for services. Never engage a person who insists on a cash payment as it is untraceable. Never leave strangers unsupervised in your home. Read more
Listen: 'Keep it simple and we'll catch them'
An elderly lady, who lives alone, was pressurised into paying “an extortionate price” for 12 chainsaws, 11 generators, seven power washers and assorted other tools, which she has no use for and did not want.
The lady handed over a substantial amount of money made up of several cheques, most of which were cancelled before being cashed.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have also been a victim of such a crime to contact them. Gardaí are also asking that people make elderly family members, neighbours or friends aware of the incident.
“If you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours and see or hear about bogus traders doing the rounds, let them and ourselves know so we can put out additional patrols,” said crime prevention officer, Sergeant Tony Davis.
“If you suspect that anyone who calls to your door selling goods or services is not who they say they are, tell them you are not interested and call the Gardaí immediately."
If a person calls to your door offering you professional trade services or selling goods and you are worried that it is a scam, tell the caller that you never employ tradespeople or buy goods from people who ‘cold call’ to your door. Ask for a brochure or documentation so you can carry out checks and verify their credibility. This should include a contact number and a VAT registration number. Be careful of documentation that only displays mobile contact numbers or incomplete addresses. If you are satisfied that the company or individual(s) are credible and you want to make a purchase, ask for an itemised written quotation for the exact goods/services being offered.Never rely on the accuracy of the information, always verify the information yourself. Always seek comparable estimates for services. Never engage a person who insists on a cash payment as it is untraceable. Never leave strangers unsupervised in your home. Read more
Listen: 'Keep it simple and we'll catch them'
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: