Posted on 10/19/2008 6:36:05 AM PDT by Dysart
New Mexico state Rep. Bill Rehm has heard the line more than once, so when a Traveller came calling to his Albuquerque home in March, he recognized the scam.
"They must go to college to learn this line," said Rehm, a retired sergeant with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, recalling the pitch: " 'We are working on a [paving] job just down the street, and we can do your driveway for $2 a square foot. Today. Right now.’ He said they had over-ordered materials."
Rehm turned the Traveller away, but others weren’t so savvy.
This spring and summer, some Travellers — nomadic clans of Irish, English and Scottish descent — roamed the country soliciting construction jobs and home repair work, bilking people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to law enforcement officials and a Traveller who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.
"It is crazy how much money can be made," the informant said. "You can make $100,000 a week."
From New Mexico to Iowa to Washington state, officials warned residents about swindlers — including some Irish Travellers based in the Fort Worth area — rolling through their towns.
Still, plenty of people got taken. And only a handful of Travellers got arrested.
"A lot of cops don’t understand about the Travellers," said Lt. Mike Moore of the Casper, Wyo., Police Department, who believes that the public needs to be better-informed about the clandestine group. "These people are very, very good. They are masters at their trade. I’m not going to say all of them are scam artists, but it is unfortunate that you have to go to the press and tell people, 'Watch out, they are about to take your money.’ "
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
When I was a kid, we used to get a warning on local TV news when the Gypsies came to town.
I know all about em...we call em gypsies here in Phoenix and they buy new trucks and trade in 1 yr old similiar trucks ( truck for truck they call it) and I mean 1000’s of em too.........they paint houses and fix cars trucks bodywork........ liars all
also funny...ask em their address and phone number....they call someone for their address and use a cell as their number....a week later they move and get a new phone....
they are McMillan by name mostly here
“In this area they were known as the WILLIAMSON gang.”
They were/are gypsies.
Good point. That’s why my Dad & I already “own” everything jointly from his Estate.
We were chatting about this on another thread earlier this week. It’s a d@mn shame that generations no longer live together under that same roof and look out for one another.
When you break up the herd, we’re all prey...
Smooth move! What other investment advice can ya give us? LOL!
Back then I had a second job with a small contractor, working evenings and weekends. That's where I was introduced to their home repair scams. Had no contact with the men, just the aftermath. As to their women, we just steered clear. They always seemed to travel in packs and always seemed to be at the center of “public scenes”..... whether for diversion for pickpocketing or just “fun”.
(Just a guess.....Woodside?)
Woodhaven; I wish they would pack up and go to Woodside. Woodside would get them, but we’d be free of them.
Here’s an old FR post with plenty of background on them;
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/755032/posts
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