A “despicable” maggots scam saw bogus workmen lead an elderly woman around cash points in Angus to collect their ill-gotten gains.
Angus Council’s trading standards department is now urging residents to be on their guard for cold callers and bogus salesmen arriving at their door.
Bogus workmen turned up at the door of an elderly lady offering to carry out work on her roof.
After a brief inspection of her roof from inside her house, the workmen produced a handful of maggots, claiming them to be woodworm.
They then proceeded to ferry the lady around to different cash points in Monifieth, collecting a three figure sum in total for the unnecessary work.
Trading standards believe these con artists are part of organised criminal groups operating across the UK, specifically targeting older or more vulnerable consumers.
They can return time and time again to carry out a range of unnecessary repairs or treatments and fleece the trusting householder out of cash.
Such fraudsters don’t give the householder the right to cancel within 14 days.
This failure to provide correct documents or a copy of cancellation rights is a criminal offence under Consumer Protection legislation.
A spokesperson for Angus Council said: “We and our partners Police Scotland Tayside Division are urging residents in Angus to be on their guard against bogus workmen who arrive unannounced at their door and offer services such as building work and repairs, gardening work, the removal of rubbish, or general tidying up.
“Very often it is the home addresses of the elderly and more vulnerable members of the community that they call on.
“Every year, Tayside Division receives complaints from householders who have been left out-of-pocket due to so-called workmen who vanished, leaving jobs half-done, or badly finished, typically having received a large cash sum in advance.
“With no contact details, contract, invoice or business card, the victim has no way of tracing the workmen or so-called company.
“There are also bogus callers who knock at a door – claiming to represent a company or authority – with the sole intention of conning their way in, distracting the householder and stealing from them.”
Police Scotland Tayside Division has urged residents to look out for one another — particularly if they have elderly or vulnerable neighbours.
Anyone with any information about the Monifieth incident should contact Police Scotland on 101.
