TRAVELLING conmen have been put on notice as three states join forces to stop them taking advantage of vulnerable people.
These conmen do not respect borders, so the joint approach taken by Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania is vital to protecting consumers from being ripped off.
By sharing intelligence and conducting joint enforcement activity, we will make it harder for travelling conmen to cross the border to scam unsuspecting consumers, and make it easier for them to be brought to justice. Over the past 12 months, 46 reported incidents of travelling conmen have been reported in Victoria.
I urge anyone who has been approached by a suspected travelling conman to report them so they can be investigated and their operations shut down.
Since the launch of the 'Stop Travelling Conmen' campaign last October, 417 calls have been made to the national hotline, 32 individuals have been prosecuted for more than 100 breaches
of various laws, and $303,359 in fines and related court costs have been ordered.
To report a travelling conman, contact the national hotline on 1300 133 408 or log on to the interactive map for reports on travelling conmen at www.stoptravellingconmen.org.
MICHAEL O'BRIEN
Minister for Consumer Affairs
