Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has more than 100 mastheads across Australia. Today's is written by ACM national agriculture writer Chris McLennan.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the early stages of planning a short trip to Ireland, I checking advice on places to visit but also made the mistake of reading what tourists should not do.
Don't say "top of the morning" to everyone you meet in that wonderful accent, or inquire about the whereabouts of leprechauns.
They should have added to that list not to raise the matter of bitumen bandits.
Apparently the bandits are back ripping off Australians again. Likely they never left.
These bandits are con artists who concocted a scam many years ago, and in the age of scams, it has been a lucrative business for them.
It is pretty simple.
The crooks offer "leftover" bitumen they say is from another job which they offer to lay at a cheap rate. They then bill an inflated price for a thin layer of road material that normally lasts only a few weeks. Leaving their victims out of pocket and with a driveway likely to become rutted in the next big rain.
These "work crews" can offer to do other dodgy repairs around the house, often preying on the elderly. Apparently they look for houses with handrails and ramps, and people out in their garden.
Often they ask for cash before starting the work and I once spoke to a victim who was forcefully taken on a ride to an ATM to withdraw cash to pay them.
I was recently reading about the latest bitumen outrage as police offered the following warning ... "people should be wary of tradespeople demanding same-day cash payments, who may speak in an Irish accent".
You see the scam originated many years again in Ireland, and crime gangs sent teams around the world (not just us) to make some easy money.
There have been many copy cats since.
Not everyone who speaks in an Irish accent is suspect.
I asked an Irish friend about these gangs, which he had heard of. But he has a strong accent even after years of living in Australia, but he didn't even know what bitumen was - clearly then not everyone from Ireland is a crook.
My experience is the Irish are wonderful folk, fun and they love a drink and a song, and I can't wait to visit their country.
Some years ago I had a closer look at these bitumen bandits who were then believed to belong to the Rathkeale Rovers, an organised crime gang not just with members in Ireland, but also in England.
Governments around the world have been keeping tabs on this group which also is also said to specialise in art theft and smuggling.
One defence against them is to tell others they are about let others know - usually through government consumer affairs groups or police. You can also report them to a national travelling con men hotline on 1300 133 408 and be alert, they are not always men and can travel in family groups.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND AUSTRALIA: