GARDAI have issued a stark warning over a man or men “claiming to be a builder” and turning up at the doors of unsuspecting victims.
Homeowners have been urged to be wary of the “tarmac scam”, which sees men going door-to-door claiming to be a builder and offering cheap work the person who opens the door to their knock.
They are calling to homes and telling residents that they have leftover tarmac and will then offer to carry out work on the driveway or surrounding area at a discount.
Gardai say they are mostly targeting elderly or more vulnerable residents, with most reports occurring in Donegal.
The men will take the money and then fill in any holes in the ground with gravel chippings covered with engine oil, or other materials that won’t last.
Gardai warned: “A man or men typically go door-to-door, claiming to be a builder/s working on a contract who have some leftover tarmac and offering to conduct work on a driveway or surroundings of a building at a low cost.
“The material then used is often gravel chippings covered with engine oil or not the right depth and type of materials to form a lasting road surface.
“These conmen may target elderly, vulnerable residents or businesses and claim to be official contractors working on roadworks to add credibility.”
While doing the work, these men have been reported to increase the cost.
They claim that the job has required more material than initially expected and often move on to issuing threats to the homeowners.
Gardai added: “They often increase the cost during the course of the work claiming that the job has required more material than expected and they may then start issuing threats.
“We received reports of these types of bogus callers in the Glenties area today.
“They were travelling in a white Land Rover Defender although please keep in mind that various vehicles would be in use by them.
“Please be vigilant and inform Gardai immediately should you have callers at your home or business who are offering to lay tarmac.”
Gardai are urging the public to not open the front door to anyone unless you are sure you know them and advised people to never agree to work carried out by callers to the door.
Tips on how to avoid scams
Garda advice on how to avoid vishing, smishing and phishing is as follows:
Vishing – Calls
- Be wary of cold calls received. Ask the caller their name, their phone number and if you are concerned hang up and ring your bank / service provider from a number advertised in a phone book, on your bill or from a Google search.
- Just because the number looks Irish does not mean it is – fraudsters use VOIP and spoofed numbers.
- Never act on advice received or instructions from a cold caller.
- Never give away personal data like bank account details, PIN numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, one time codes, PPS numbers or Eircodes.
- Never download any Apps as these allow the fraudster to take control of your device.
- Be aware that State bodies including the Revenue Commissioners will not ring you to advise that you are under investigation.
- Do not transfer money in any way.
- Before taking any action, seek advice from a trusted person.
Smishing – Texts
- Be wary of such texts even if they are contained within the thread of previous genuine texts from banks.
- Never click on links – by doing so you are accessing cloned websites.
- If you’re expecting a delivery and receive such a text, be very careful.
- Banking institutions will never send a text containing a link.
- An Garda Síochána advise people not to respond to such texts, to take screenshots of the texts received and delete them and to report it to the bank or relevant company and local Garda station.
Phishing – Emails
- Phishing emails can look official – make sure you are certain it’s legitimate before opening an attachment.
- Hover over any hyperlinks so you know where they lead to before you click (or go directly to the source).
- Beware of requests for personal or financial details or requests to reset passwords.
- Delete any suspicious emails, block the sender and don’t forward the email to anyone else.
- Don’t store passwords on your browser. If any of your passwords are compromised, it could lead to a chain of disasters and compromise all your accounts.
- Avoid using personal or untrusted removable devices (such as phones, tablets, iPods, SD Cards) on office systems.
- Beware of generic, impersonal greetings, such as “Dear Friend” or poor spelling and grammar.
- Check the displayed name against the actual email.
- Limit what you share online – cybercriminals use information you post online to learn how to gain your trust.
- Stay updated with security policies and best practices.
A garda spokesperson said: “Do not open your door to anybody unless you are sure who they are. Use a chain lock for extra security.
“DO NOT agree to have work carried out by these types of callers and do not provide them with your personal details.
“Should you come across these callers, please contact us immediately in Letterkenny on 074-9167100, Buncrana on 074-9320540, Milford on 074-9153060 or Ballyshannon on 071-9858530.”
Gardai ask that homeowners take note of their direction of travel, their description and registration numbers.
If any camera footage is captured such as doorbells or dashcams, it is advised to make this available to Gardai.
