Several good samaritans have come forward and offered to finish a job for a pensioner who was scammed out of £1,000 earlier this week.
The vulnerable 79-year-old man was defrauded out of the cash after two men failed to carry out promise of power washing his driveway in the Kingsway Drive area of Lurgan.
Around 10am on Tuesday morning two men approached the homeowner offering to clean and de-weed his drive and pathways.
The elderly gentleman withdrew the money from his bank and handed it over to the men who did not carry out the work.
The pair, who are described as being in their 30s and speaking with Newry accents, had a white-coloured van with them during the incident.
The elderly man was down a £1,000 but several offers came in from people willing to do the job for free in a real show of community spirit.
A spokesperson for the PSNI inArmagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, confirmed the good news on Twitter said it had received multiple offers to finish the work for free.
After the #RogueTrader scam of the elderly gent,we've received multiple offers to finish the work free of charge!Faith in humanity restored!
— Arma, Banb & Crai (@PSNIABC) November 2, 2017
Speaking about the incident, PSNI Chief Inspector Jon Burrows said the incident was an example of “sickening exploitation”.
“We recognise that not all cold callers are rogue traders or criminals however we want every householder, particularly the more vulnerable, to have the confidence to refuse services they do not require or want,” Inspector Burrows said.
“Neighbours can also play a vital part in helping protect the more vulnerable in their community against this kind of crime. Look out for suspicious vehicles and people and report ALL suspicious activity to Police.”
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