North-east residents have been urged not to buy goods or employ traders who turn up at their doorsteps.
The call comes as Aberdeenshire Council’s trading standards teams and police ramp up efforts to protect the region’s elderly and vulnerable who are often targeted in scams.
On Wednesday, pensioners in Montrose were convinced to hand over £3,000 to bogus workmen posing as roofers.
Last night, trading standards manager Wilma Urquhart said while it can be “tempting” to employ workmen who can start right away there could be consequences.
“We receive many complaints from consumers who have employed a cold caller only to find that the goods or services are of a very poor quality and they cannot then contact the trader to get things put right,” she added.
“You also risk losing any deposit you hand over, or the price increasing considerably without genuine justification. It’s not uncommon for a quote of a few hundred pounds becoming a few thousand pounds by the time the job is finished, so please be careful.”
She is urging local people to never agree to have work done at their doorstep and to always research businesses.
Sergeant Darren Mills, from the police’s safer communities team, added: “This type of crime can have a devastating effect on the most vulnerable people in our communities and we would urge people in those communities to look out for each other especially their more vulnerable and elderly neighbours.
“If you see work being carried out on someone’s property, just taking a moment to check that your neighbour is comfortable with the work that is being done, could save a lot of anguish and money in the long run.”
Any suspicious activity should be reported to police on 101 or to your local trading standards office on 01467 536190.
Incidents can also be reported to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.