GARDAÍ have voiced concern about rogue traders preying on elderly people following reports of one man who fought back against unscrupulous scammers.

Warnings are being issued to homeowners about people claiming to be tradesmen seeking to fill last minute cancellations.

The culprits are known to charge extortionate amounts before identifying other jobs they claim need attention. At this point they will request the cash upfront with no intention of returning.

Cork’s crime prevention officer, Sergeant Brian McSweeney, said that one man was pressured into taking a trip to the ATM to withdraw thousands of euro for a basic job.

The man only realised he had been duped after handing over the money. He then proceeded to raise his voice and panic the bogus tradesmen, prompting them to return the bulk of the cash.

Sgt McSweeney is warning people to be vigilant in a bid to protect other potential victims.

Speaking about the recent situation, he said: “They pressured him into allowing them do the work and they agreed to do it for €350. They then took the opportunity to say there was an extra job they needed to do.

“He was persuaded to go to the ATM and withdraw more cash. This man was very independent but as soon as he handed over the cash he realised he had been duped.”

"The victim raised his voice as he threatened to call gardaí. The bogus traders eventually returned €2,150 of the €2,500 taken from him.

“They left with €350 for the work they had done. In reality, the job they did only amounted to around €20 or €30.”

Sgt McSweeney is advising people not to engage with people offering door-to-door services.

“Bogus traders cold calling to properties in Cork, in this day and age, should always raise alarm bells. A busy tradesman won’t be calling door to door looking for work. If somebody is knocking on your door looking for work my advice would be not to engage with them.”

He offered some sage advice to stop people falling victim to such crimes.

“It’s important that you find out who this person is before you call them back to do the work. Some are calling door to door under the pretence that they had a job at the beginning of the week and the clients have postponed.

“I would advise people not to engage with a tradesperson calling until they have spoken with a family member or a garda to establish that they are legitimate.”