A 73-year-old woman encountered an unexpected visitor at her home on March 3, when a man posing as a roofer approached her.
Claiming that urgent repairs were needed for the apartment complex, the man convinced her to let him inside.
Once inside, he allegedly gained access to her personal financial information.
The following day, the same man returned and took the woman to her local bank. Under pressure, she wrote him a cheque for tens of thousands of dollars as an upfront payment for the supposed “repairs.”
Fortunately, the woman later managed to cancel the cheque and alert the authorities.
To aid their investigation, police have released CCTV footage of a man they believe could provide crucial information.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, aged in his 40s or 50s, and with a distinctive, possibly Irish, accent.
When last seen, he was wearing a black t-shirt, a black hat, and blue jeans.
Police also believe he drives a white van and is accompanied by a second man described only as being of Caucasian appearance.
Inner West Police Area Command crime manager, Detective Inspector Benjamin Kennis, warned older people to be aware they could be targets of scammers.
“These scammers are targeting older people and claim that urgent home repairs are necessary, demanding large sums of money for work that is not needed,” Kennis said.
“We would always recommend anyone approached like this should take the time and check these people are correctly licensed; these details can be checked with authorities such as NSW Fair Trading, Service NSW.”
He urged older people who felt unsure to not let strangers inside their home, nor to accompany them to financial institutions.
“Be on your guard, check credentials, get trusted family members involved, and â if you feel you have been a victim of a scam like this â please call police: we will investigate,” Kennis said.
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