Wagga police warn of fraud tradesmen as victim speaks out about her experience

Julie Christian was prompted to speak out after the Riverina Police District last week revealed there had been an increase in reports of fraudulent contractors scamming unsuspecting victims, in particular the elderly.

Ms Christian had remained tightlipped about her ordeal for the past 18 months, because she did not know where to turn to for help, but now said she wanted to use her own experience to warn others.

The 65-year-old, who lives with a disability, hired a man in 2021 to paint the exterior of her home.

"He was recommended to me by another tradesman, who put me in contact with him," Ms Christian said.

The tradesman initially quoted Ms Christian $2800 to paint the exterior of her home, which included trimmings, railings, a fence and a gate.

"I told him I wanted everything painted outside aside from the bricks," she said.

Ms Christian alleges the man then went back on his initial quote, upping it to $6000 in total as he hadn't been aware that she wanted the trimming around the exterior windows included.

"We agreed and I paid him in cash prior to him starting," she said.

The second red flag came shortly after the cash exchange, when the man told Ms Christian she hadn't paid him the correct amount.

"I had counted the money myself and had a friend count it twice before we gave it to him," she said.

"He refused to count the money and then he came back the next day telling me he went to the bank and they said it wasn't all there, then he back-pedalled and said that it was all there."

Questions regarding the validity of the tradesman began popping up as work to the home commenced and it became clear to Ms Christian it wasn't a job being done well.

"He didn't scrape the old paint off, he painted the windows shut and others wouldn't close, he got paint splatters on the brick and they didn't paint the front fence, which was meant to be included," she said.

"It's been 18 months since it was done and it is already peeling off."

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Ms Christian said she reached back out to the man through the mobile number she had been provided with, the person's only form of contact, asking for him to come back and fix the windows.

"He continued giving me excuses and never ended up coming back," she said.

A month or so later, in January 2022, Ms Christian lodged an official complaint against the business to NSW Fair Trading.

However, the ABN the man provided her was registered to a business that was no longer operational.

A spokesperson for NSW Fair Trading said that business was registered in 2007 and cancelled in 2009.

"The issues raised were assessed but due to a lack of evidence, no further action was taken," the spokesperson said.

Ms Christian thought about taking further action against the man but didn't out of fear because the man knew where she lived, and she lived alone.

"I was frightened in my own home," she said.

"I feel angry. If he did it to me, who else would he do it to?"

The Daily Advertiser has chosen not to name the man.

A search of Service NSW's licence verification website revealed no business registered in Wagga under the name he provided.

Riverina Police District Inspector Jill Gibson said people across the Riverina have been approached by fraudulent tradesmen in recent weeks.

Inspector Gibson encouraged residents to be mindful that such people do exist within the community.

"A lot of the time these people will ask you for a deposit or cash up front," she said.

"They may provide you with an ABN to a business which has shut down."

Inspector Gibson said residents who were unsure whether they were being scammed should welcome to contact their local police station for guidance.

Local business licences can be checked online at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/.

Scams can be reported to Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.

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