Oz deportation for roof scammers

Up to 24 Irish nationals are facing deportation from Australia following an alleged roofing scam which targeted the elderly.

The crackdown followed the arrest of five men and two boys, both aged 17, over a suspected home renovation scam which, Australian media said, earned them over $100,000 (€70,000). It is believed some of the alleged victims were women in their 90s.

They are accused of taking large sums of money but then disappearing with either the work incomplete or poorly done.

“I’m concerned about people coming in and taking these sorts of actions against our vulnerable members of the community,” Detective Sergeant Tony Walton told Australia’s ABC News. “These are people that can’t really protect themselves.”

Police went to the caravan park where the group was understood to be staying, and seized a wide variety of items including work vehicles, building equipment as well as thousands of dollars in cash and expensive jewellery.

A further 19 people, women and children, were detained by immigration services for deportation and had their visas cancelled, though it is understood two were subsequently released.

Alina Cavanagh, a spokes- woman for Australia’s Department of Commerce, was quoted by the Western Australia Today news website as saying that she had received numerous reports of conmen with Irish accents attempting to fleece home-owners.

“It seems that Australians are very trusting,” she said adding it was quite common for Irish gangs to travel to Australia and set up at caravan parks before running “cons”.

“The roofs have been a favourite in this instance,” she told the website. Ms Cavanagh added: “There have been years where we have seen constant driveway-laying scams. They were ‘bitumen bandits’.”

Last week, Western Australia’s Consumer Protection issued a warning to Perth residents , particularly the elderly about reports of what it called “travelling conmen”offering roof repairs.