Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Conned . . . again: Despite years of Rogue Trader-style television programmes highlighting the dangers of hiring some random bloke, some people are still taking the risk.

The National Consumer Agency (NCA) last week highlighted an upsurge of reported incidents, and said consumers were still being conned. The NCA also issued a series of guidelines for consumers confronted by cold-calling traders. The guidelines warn people not to be influenced by claims of bargain-basement prices, and remind people to seek addresses and landline numbers.