🚀Bitumen Bandits Targeting South Australians with Dubious Offers

There is a new warning to be on the lookout for these shady tradesmen as bitumen bandits are on the loose across South Australia. 

The details: 

• This week alone, the state's consumer watch dog, Consumer and Business Services, has received one report of the bandits touting for business in Kilburn.

• A group of men last week visited an industrial site on Prospect Rd, offering 'free bitumen' left over from another job and began offloading their machinery.  

• A worker intervened and asked questions of the bandits to which they revealed it would in fact cost $15,000 for the work proposed and sent them on their way.

• This follows fresh reports from the same bandits being at work in Para Hills West, Wasley, and Ninnes, trying to scam South Australians out of more than $35,000.

 What is Bitumen bandits?

 Bitumen bandits roam, unlicensed traders that travel from town to town targeting both homes and businesses, claiming to have leftover bitumen from a previous job and, for a cheap price, will do the work.

However, the work is of a poor quality, and consumers are invariably left out of pocket, striving to afford remedial work to rectify the chaos they are left with.

Andrea Michaels MP is working in conjunction with state and federal agencies, including the South Australian Police and Border Force, to identify bitumen bandits and gather evidence of their offenses. This is a collaborated effort that seeks to ensure that regulators share information so as to catch them at a very early stage.

 How much is the penalty?

If a person carries out building work without a license, such a person commits an offense punishable by a fine of $50,000 if a person and $250,000 if a corporation. For accepting money without proper cause under Australian Consumer Law, the penalty is $2.5 million if a person and up to $50 million if a corporation.

Any person who may have come in contact with these people are encouraged to contact Consumer and Business Services on 131 882 or at www.cbs.sa.gov.au/contact-us as soon as possible because one of the difficulty is usually that the scammers will have relocated to a new location before a complaint is even lodged.

 Why It Matters:

You should report them straight away to prevent further damages to other potential victims and to hold these people responsible for their actions. Enforcement of consumer law violations and unlicensed building work are key factors in consumer protection and industry integrity.

Bottom line:

It also maintains industry integrity and protects consumers while stopping the harm that could be perpetrated against potential victims. You have the power to stop more harm from happening and hold criminals responsible for their actions.