Police in Doncaster are advising the public to be vigilant after a spate of rogue trader incidents in Mexborough over the last few weeks.
A number of residents living in Mexborough have contacted the police to report a man who is approaching people offering to do repairs or modify their vehicles. He convinces people to part with half of the cash and promises to return to start the work, but never does.
There have been between six and ten incidents reported to the police since just before Christmas.
The man is said to be alone, smartly dressed and very convincing with his sales pitch, often pretending to be an associate of a neighbour.
Officers from the Mexborough Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) are asking residents in the area to be aware of this man and vigilant to rogue traders. Rogue traders are different to distraction burglars, as they tend to charge
large amounts of money for relatively minor jobs, which they either never carry out or do to a very low standard.
PC Rob Scarrow from the Mexborough SNT said: "I would urge the public to be vigilant to this man and ensure elderly neighbours and family members are aware of him. He seems to be very convincing in his sales pitch but I would advise the public never to accept an offer of work from an unknown caller and if they are suspicious to report it to the police immediately.
"We are continuing with enquiries and working with the residents to try and locate the offender."
Following the simple tips below may prevent you from becoming a victim of a rogue trader.
Never accept an offer of work from an unknown caller. If they are genuine, they will be willing to leave contact details and allow you to get other quotes.
If you need some work doing to your property or vehicle, do not go with the first company or trader you meet. Obtain a number of quotes to make sure the prices match up and where possible, ask family or friends for a recommendation.
Never go to a bank or cash machine with a trader or hand over cash and never sign for work on the spot.
If you would like to find out more about what the police are doing in the Mexborough area you can follow them on Facebook by searching for Mexborough Safer Neighbourhood Team or search for them on Twitter @conisbroughcops.
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