Attention, homeowners! We have an important update that you should be aware of. A concerning and deceptive scam has recently surfaced, involving impostors pretending to be government officials.

An Aussie took to social media to share their experience with this fraudulent scheme. Now, they are speaking out to warn their fellow homeowners, emphasising the utmost importance of remaining vigilant.

So, how does this scam unfold? According to a post on the popular forum website Reddit, they encountered a young woman in her mid-20s dressed in a plain high-visibility vest.

She claimed to be a government scout offering a supposedly 'invaluable' service of painting or repainting house numbers on the kerb.

Some scammers pose as council workers and demand $50 to paint your house number on the street kerb. Credit: Shutterstock.

Her pitch was that this service was essential for emergency vehicles to navigate the neighbourhood effectively, and she charged a steep fee of $50.

Fortunately, the homeowner's instincts kicked in, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He declined the offer and did some online research about similar situations.

To his relief, his suspicions were confirmed. Reports of similar scam stories were emerging everywhere, especially in the Gold Coast area.

Fellow Australian homeowners on the forum wasted no time responding and sharing their experiences of similar scams in different regions of the country.

One forum user suggested calling the local authorities and recounted their experience, 'In Melbourne, the police actually visited our home, investigating reports of people carrying out the same scam. They were gathering evidence following an arrest.'

Another mentioned an incident in Perth where scammers would paint kerb numbers and subsequently approach homeowners—usually targeting older adults—demanding payment at their doorstep.

Others argued that charging $50 for a relatively straightforward paint job was, at the very least, a scam or a blatant rip-off. 'They're charging you $50 for them using a stencil and 20 cents of paint,' one user commented.

Added another: 'Someone went round and offered this for all the houses in our neighbourhood years ago. Pretty sure they did it for $10 back then. Not a “council worker”, though.'

A third said, 'Saying you're from the government and then asking for money really isn't smart. If you're from the government, you're being paid by my rates, so you better paint it for free, or I'm calling the police for you impersonating a government official.'

While many believed that the incident was suspicious, others mentioned the existence of legitimate groups or organisations engaged in painting jobs to earn a modest income—and no, they’re not scammers.

One homeowner said, 'This used to be a great business for teenagers minus the deception part. They would go door to door and offer to paint for $5. Most people would happily say yes as it's quite practical, and people appreciated the entrepreneurial efforts to make some money.'

Another agreed and added, 'I had a guy come around and offer it for $20 a few years ago, but he never claimed he was from the council. He was just some guy trying to make a few extra bucks. Good on him.'

Key Takeaways

• Australian residents are being warned about a scam targeting homeowners, where fraudsters pose as government council workers and demand $50 to paint house numbers on the street kerb.
• A Queensland resident shared this scam on Reddit. The resident denied the offer and discovered that similar scams had been reported elsewhere in Queensland.
• Many Reddit users reacted to this post, claiming the same scam has been operating in other parts of Australia, advising people to report such incidents to the police.
• While many agreed that this used to be a legitimate job for teenagers or charity groups, most conclude that charging $50 while impersonating a 'council worker' is a clear red flag signifying it's a scam.

Members, it's important to stay sharp and keep an eye out for those sneaky scams and con artists lurking around, just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims. So, always trust your gut and be a little sceptical when something seems fishy. If you ever smell trouble, don't hesitate to contact your local authorities. They're there to help!

When it comes to battling scams, knowledge is power. That's why, here at the SDC, we're all about informing you about the latest scams and how to protect yourself. Feel free to visit the Scam Watch forum for more information.

Have you ever encountered a situation where someone pretended to be a 'council worker' or something similar? How did you handle it? We'd love to hear your stories! Drop them in the comments below, and let's learn from each other.

 

[Rhondda@Benji]

Hello everyone, All Scammers can go to hell. About 6 weeks ago I was doing research on my computer, I clicked on the image, next thing my computer had gone beserk. My computer had been hacked. These seceurity -police were at my computer. I feel stressed now. Lights were flashing at me & an emergency number to contact microsoft security. I phoned & spoke to a wonderful young man, I had to follow instructions, Thankyou for me captel phone, i could read the instructions, this man was very patient , the first task was to hit the ctrl key at the same time as the key on the right, a window a badly built one. Successful. For the next hour I had follow & read instructions. One stage I knocked my mouse accidently. I lost what I was working on. The microsoft man got me back. Good. I had to keep my computer closed, for the next 28 hours.I thought I can tick this off my bucket list now. Those Hackers were watching my Bank accounts. They didn't touch any funds then. On the 29th June the got me, they were waiting, fradulent transactions, $1, $80, & $1. Total $82. I got onto card services for my Bank & they transferred me to security, I was waiting close to the hour, not good, stress levels going up, I was a basket case. Finally the black visa debit card was cancelled, new one by courier 2 to 3 working days. They would eventually attack my pink visa card, cancel this one too, that will come a week later. I cried in my sleep last night realising wat these scammers had done. there was no traking information on the transactions.I feel damaged financially. this is not my world. Just imagine if we close online down for a month. This would really annoy the scammers. I have had one too many scams, this one made me so down on the whole system. Even though this has happened I will always get my smile back for my friends. Thanks for reading. Bye Everyone. Be kind to yourself.

The fact that you can still smile for your friends means you're a strong Lady and I'm so sorry for all that you've been through. Stay safe and well and keep smiling.

 

[Ezzy]

Sounds like you got a good deal if it did reflect in the dark as they should. It's just a pity the council didn't replace it for you .

I would suggest they should have. Would be handy if a photo of the # on the kerb could be produced as proof.

 

[maggiej]

We had our number painted many years ago in the 90's. It was a yellow reflected number and has lasted well although now it is faded and needs re-doing. It is good for the essential services and other visitors at night. It was not a scam in those days and we appreciated it being done

 

[Ezzy]

We had our number painted many years ago in the 90's. It was a yellow reflected number and has lasted well although now it is faded and needs re-doing. It is good for the essential services and other visitors at night. It was not a scam in those days and we appreciated it being done

Goes to show @ Maggiej how the world has become more corrupt. Your # would have been painted with good quality reflective paint to have lasted this long.

 

[Wandiwa]

In this era, all emergency vehicles, taxis etc have GPS and Google maps. The painted numbers on the kerb really is now redundant.

 

[Jumping Jack Flash]

I live in regional Victoria so am naturally suspicious of anyone trying to come onto the property, let alone to the door (so is our Kelpie)! Problem solved....