An elderly man in Cheltenham was scammed out of £1,500 for a 10 minute gardening job by unknown men who demanded he hand over more cash.
Police in Cheltenham are warning residents to be wary of people offering services door-to-door and unannounced, after the original fee was set at £100 to kill some weeds on a driveway.
The incident happened in Charlton Kings last Thursday (3 September) after two men approached an elderly resident and offered the work.
When the victim agreed to the job for £100, the men upped the fee to £1,500 and demanded the money, and so he travelled to town and withdrew cash.
He handed it over to the men who sprayed his driveway for 10 minutes and left the area in what is believed to be a white van which had been parked nearby.
Police are investigating and appealing for anyone with information, dashcam footage or CCTV from surrounding roads to come forward. This incident happened in the area of Maple Drive/Willow Road between 9am and 11am.
Scams involve fraudsters knocking on your door and unexpectedly offering products or services. They can be convincing, and trick people in to paying for work which is often overpriced, of a poor quality or is not even carried out.
They may pressure you in to making quick decisions for work which often isn’t necessary in the first place.
Remember to take time to consider your options and to not be pressured into making a quick decision.
Never pay upfront for goods or services you have not received and question whether they are a legitimate company. Legitimate builders do not call door to door. If you feel pressured by any cold caller, say no and close the door.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to report this
You can call police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
