LARGS residents have been warned to be on the alert for bogus callers at their homes after a householder handed over cash for what turned out to be shoddy work.

Police told members of Largs Community Council (LCC) that the key message to the public is that if something offered is too good to be true, it probably is.

Sergeant Donald Fisher was asked at LCC's latest meeting to expand on an incident in the town's Lindsay Crescent on May 24.

 

He said: "It was along the lines of someone offering to do some work, and money was given over, and the work done was not worth the money that was handed over.

"They moved on fairly soon after that from where they were originally parked, down at the marina.

"It doesn't appear to be any locals, but there were no descriptions issued."

Sergeant Fisher added: "The wider message, for me, is that if someone chaps on your door offering some fantastic piece of work, it's unlikely to get done. If someone offers you some fantastic saving for handing over money, you're not going to get your money back.

"My general advice is to say no, shut the door, turn your back on them, and let them move on.

"These people use quite pushy tactics but my advice is always to generally always turn it down.

"There is such a thing as a 'rogue's bargain', where despite the offer, it can't possibly be true.

"I would warn people to be on their guard from cold callers generally."

Some properties, in Largs and elsewhere, already have 'no cold callers' signs outside in a bid to ward off potential fraudsters. 

Responding to a query from the News on whether that was a tactic that could cover the whole of Largs, Sergeant Fisher said it was "certainly something that could be looked into" in the future if there were enough public support.