By LAURA WAKELY
A PAIR posing as emergency service workers is preying on residents in Brimbank.
St Albans resident Bob, who did not want his surname published, said he had a man and woman visit his house last Friday dressed in SES uniforms.
The duo was offering to paint house numbers on his kerbside for a fee, claiming that residents needed the numbering for the benefit of the emergency services.
“They came knocking and what made me suspicious is when I said I wasn’t interested they became quite nasty,” Bob said.
“They were in the fluoro jackets and that but they never produced any identification.”
He turned them away and reported the incident to police.”
Neighbours in Andrew Rd, McLeod Rd and Jamieson St also received visits from the pair.
The incident comes after Brimbank City Council warned residents last week that con artists had been reported in the Keilor area.
In one incident a man posed as a council employee who told the resident kerbside numbering was compulsory.
But Infrastructure and Environment general manager Paul Younis said it is not a legal requirement of property owners.
“Residents should not feel obligated to accept this service,” he said.
“Any business undertaking kerbside numbering requires a permit from council, and council has not issued any permits for this service.”
He said homes in the Keilor area were being targeted.
Under local laws homes must clearly display their house number on the fence post of the house and make sure it is visible from the street so that it can be readily seen at all times, especially for the purposes of the emergency services.
Police are investigating.
