Issue #366 – Wednesday, 8 February, 2017
Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper
Turning the heat up on arsonists Over half of all bushfires in Victoria are either deliberately or recklessly lit, which is why Crime Stoppers has urged Wodonga residents to report unsafe and any suspicious behavior.
FULL STORY PAGE 3
Don’t fall for it By Monique Kuzeff Wodonga residents are being warned to remain cautious about travelling con men who may pass through the area in coming months. A number of local residents have been hit with deception of this kind in recent weeks which is why Crime Stoppers and Consumer Affairs Victoria are encouraging residents to be on the lookout. Crime Stoppers community manager Chris Plumeridge said that the floods that occurred in early spring last year caused a spike in travelling con men to the area. “Because of the floods over the past couple of months a lot of people have been hit by travelling con men,” Mr Plumeridge said. “Obviously they are a bit vulnerable and are obviously in need of work on their house.” Mr Plumeridge said con men were people who often turn up to a house unannounced offering cheap home maintenance work including on gutters and driveways. “You might hand over the money, they might drive you to the bank and once you pay the money you may not ever see them again, “The work might be of very poor quality, the work might not be started or the work might not be completed,” he said. Travelling con men have been known to scam as much as $150 through to $20,000 off residents in the local area. “We’ve had stories of people being offered repaving on their driveway because the council has got left over bitumen. “They’ve gone around threatening people with fines for overhanging trees and a lot of other nasty tactics.” Residents are urged to reject con men and ask them to leave, use qualified tradespeople and check credentials before hiring. If you or someone you know has been targeted by a con man, call the National Travelling Con Men Hotline on 1300 133 403. For further information, visit consumer.vic.gov.au/travellingconmen
Consumer Affairs Victoria regional manager Michael D’Elia with Crime Stoppers community manager Chris Plumeridge. 164492 Picture: MONIQUE KUZEFF