There are currently more traveling salesmen on the road in the country. The Vorarlberg Chamber of Labor receives several complaints every day, and the crooks have also taken up a new scam: asphalting work.
The so-called experts come to your door all over the country offering various renovation jobs around the house and garden – some even have brochures with before and after photos to convince customers of their supposed skills.
But anyone who actually agrees to a deal with these scammers usually ends up looking stupid: the supposed bargain price turns out to be a blatant rip-off, and the quality of execution is not even satisfactory for complete laymen.
The consumer lawyers at the Vorarlberg Chamber of Labour know a thing or two about fraud; they often receive several complaints a day.
Like the rip-off works with asphalt
In addition to ‘classics’ such as cleaning facades or forecourts, the rip-offs have a whole new trick up their sleeve this year: asphalting. They do it very cleverly: the crooks claim that there is asphalt left over from a nearby construction site that they can use for asphalting on the homeowners’ property – a blatant lie.
If you go through with the deal, the professionals will asphalt a larger area than agreed – and badly too. But they want to cash in immediately and demand an immediate transfer of sometimes exorbitant amounts. Anyone who has paid once looks through their eyes, because the traveling traders have of course long since disappeared and are no longer to be found.
Don’t fall for so-called top offers
That’s why Karin Hinteregger, head of the consumer protection department at the Chamber of Labor, advises against getting involved in such transactions at all: “Don’t fall for the so-called top offers and don’t let yourself be pressured at the front door, because that’s exactly how the fraudsters try to get their money to lure victims. Don’t approve any work and don’t make any deposits!”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
