Brazen crooks

“Don’t let yourself be put under pressure”

The latest scam from itinerant tradesmen: asphalting work.

(Bild: Kronen Zeitung)

At the moment, an increasing number of itinerant tradesmen are on the road again in Vorarlberg. The Vorarlberg Chamber of Labor is receiving several complaints every day, and the crooks have also adopted a new scam: Asphalting work.

The alleged experts are ringing doorbells all over the country offering various renovation jobs around the house and garden - sometimes they even have brochures with before and after pictures to convince customers of their supposed skills.

But anyone who actually enters into a deal with these swindlers usually ends up looking stupid: the supposed bargain price turns out to be a brazen rip-off and the quality of the workmanship is not even to the credit of complete amateurs.

The consumer protection experts at the Vorarlberg Chamber of Labor know a thing or two about these scams and often receive several complaints every day.

Every year we receive complaints about itinerant tradesmen and their rip-off scams.

Karin Hinteregger, AK Konsumentenschutz

Bild: mathis.studio

How the asphaltrip-off  works
In addition to "classics" such as facade or forecourt cleaning, the rip-off artists have a completely new scam in their bag this year: asphalting work. They are very cunning in their approach: The crooks claim that there is still asphalt left over from a nearby construction site that they can use for asphalt work on the homeowner's property - a bold lie.

If you agree to the deal, the workmen asphalt a larger area than agreed - and they do it poorly. In return, however, they want to cash in immediately and demand an immediate transfer of sometimes exorbitant sums. Once you've paid, you can see through your fingers, because the itinerant tradesmen are of course long gone and can no longer be traced.

Don't fall for supposed top offers
Karin Hinteregger, Head of the Chamber of Labor Consumer Protection Department, therefore recommends not getting involved in such deals in the first place: "Don't fall for the supposed top offers and don't let yourself be put under pressure at the front door, because this is exactly how the fraudsters try to lure their victims. Do not authorize any work and do not make any down payments!"