Robert Harper, 82, was targeted in October last year by two men of Pacific Islander or Maori appearance, who promised to seal his driveway and clean the exterior of his Ballarat East house.

“They finished off hosing down the house, I paid them and then they said you’d better stay inside, because we’re going to put the sealer on now,” Mr Harper said.

Moments later, the men came back saying they had finished.

“But they hadn’t done anything,” Mr Harper said.

The men then disappeared, having only hosed down the outside of Mr Harper’s house and nothing further, leaving the retiree more than $500 out of pocket.

“I felt pretty rotten,” he said. 

“We had their phone number so we rang them up and told them to come back and finish the job, but they wouldn’t come back.”

Neighbours of Mr Harper also reported being targeted by the same men.

His warning comes as cases of travelling con men knocking on doors across the Ballarat region is known to increase over summer.

In response, Crime Stoppers and Consumer Affairs Victoria warned Ballarat residents on Monday to say no to travelling con men after nine suspected cases of unscrupulous tradespeople were reported in the region over the last financial year.

New figures showed Victorians lost $477,000 to scammers over a 12-month period statewide, including $1,325 in the Ballarat and Grampians region.

Often targeting elderly or isolated residents, travelling con men operate door-to-door offering cheap deals on home maintenance jobs, from driveway resurfacing and roof repair to garden maintenance and odd jobs.

Consumer Affairs Victoria’s regional manager for Grampians, Joy Hall, said the public’s assistance was critical in stamping out offending.

“These travelling con men are notoriously difficult to catch, as they travel around and tend to disappear as quickly as they appear,” Ms Hall said.

Crime Stoppers community manager Chris Plumridge said: “Information from the community is vital in detecting and pursuing these offenders, helping to ensure no more people have to go through the financial and emotional stresses of being victimised by travelling con men.”

Authorities advised Ballarat residents to be wary of tradespeople appearing unannounced, and instead should look to hire appropriately licensed tradespeople recommended by family and friends.