Public warned after Tarmac touts con elderly people

GARDAÍ have warned elderly people not to deal with a gang of criminals who forced a woman in her 70s to hand over €7,500 for a Tarmac job — which was substandard and probably worth just a few hundred euros.

The gang, which have been operating in north Cork and west Waterford, initially asked her for €3,000. But when the job was finished they sought an extra €4,500.

The woman was so frightened that she agreed to write them a cheque for €7,500.

Gang members went to the bank to cash the cheque but a teller became suspicious and refused to honour it, until she had contacted the account holder.

Gardaí said that the pensioner was so frightened of the men that she still told the teller to cash it in full.

Gardaí also confirmed that an elderly man was nearly conned out of €1,000 for a small patch of tar on his driveway. Fortunately gardaí got wind of it early enough to prevent the gang getting away with the money.

A senior garda spokesman said the gang are believed to be from the North, and may have conned many more elderly people in the region out of large sums of money.

“If a stranger approaches a person offering to do a job then they should get a business card off them. They can then contact gardaí and we’ll be able to tell them if they are a legitimate concern,” the spokesman said.