Ever been door knocked by someone offering to restore your roof, paint your house, or lop some overgrown trees at a price that seems too good to be true?   Unlike licensed tradespeople, travelling con men frequently disappear and leave the job unfinished, or do a poor job – if they do any of the promised work at all.

 Stop Travelling Conmen is a campaign being run jointly by consumer affairs agencies across the country to protect the community from misleading and deceptive conduct by people pretending to be legitimate tradespeople.

The website http://www.stoptravellingconmen.org/ has an interactive map showing where conmen have been active, based on reports to the National Hotline (1300 133 408).

Consumer Affairs Victoria publish useful tips about what to look out for, how to protect yourself and others, and provides free resources for anyone who wants to help raise awareness and promote the campaign.

If you think you’ve spotted a travelling conman, call the national hotline on 1300 133 408 (8:30 am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday), or report it via the Stop Travelling Conmen Facebook page.

And if you don’t already have one, get a Do Not Knock sticker.  Legitimate businesses should obey the law and respect a Do Not Knock sticker. If they don’t respect your sticker, report it using the Make a Complaint form.