NSW Fair Trading is warning the victims of floods and those wanting to help to be wary of flood recovery scams.
Leading the call for caution, Minister for Fair Trading, Eleni Petinos said previous natural disasters had seen rogue scammers engage in fraudulent behaviour such as setting up fake charities or ripping off flood victims via dodgy repair work.
“The behaviour of these fraudsters who seek to profit from other people’s heartbreak is reprehensible and we need to do everything possible to ensure they are caught and face the full force of the law,” Ms Petinos said.
“As we begin the clean-up and rebuild phase, flood-affected residents across the Northern Rivers region need to be wary of unlicensed scammers attempting to rip them off,” she said.
“If they badger people or behave in an intimidating or threatening manner to try to get a quote accepted, they should be asked to leave.
“If they refuse, contact the police.”
Ms Petinos said Fair Trading planned to have investigators and inspectors on the ground in areas impacted by floods to ensure residents were protected.
“If those looking to donate want their money to go to a legitimate individual or organisation, they should go to the Service NSW website and check that it has a charitable fundraising licence,” the Minister said.
She said people could also check the licence details of tradespeople on the Service NSW website.
The Services NSW website can be accessed at this PS News link.
