Police are investigating an increase in suspected scamming activity in the Hastings and are encouraging residents to report any suspicious behaviour.

This week (November 26) residents in Wauchope, Redbank, Pembrooke, Sancrox and Kundabung took to social media to warn people.

Once incident on Monday involved a man driving a white Pajero with Queensland number plates and wearing a high vis vest assessing driveways in a residential street. When approached by a householder he implied there was to be roadworks conducted in the area, but failed to provide any business name or project details when questioned.

Another Hastings business was approached and asked to purchase leftover hot mix from highway works. When questioned, the business/company name provided to the manager was for a Queensland road resurfacing company.

Port News contacted the company with a spokesperson saying he was unaware of anyone conducting business activity on their behalf in the area.

“We just had a guy come up our driveway and offer us ‘a really cheap cost on hot-mixing our driveway’. He said that they had been working on the highway and we were really lucky because he had ‘some bitumen left over’,” a Kundabung resident reported.

“He couldn’t tell me the name of the contractor they were subbying to or the name of any contacts. Also I haven’t seen any work happening out the front. Definite shonk. Don’t get conned if they call on you.”

The con crews have been circulating across Australia for several years and are known colloquially known as the Bitumen Bandits.

It has been reported they can sometimes use the cheap bitumen deal as a way to potentially scope out homes or businesses they later plan to rob.

The NSW Office of Fair Trade says scammers vary their approaches and mix and match their sales pitches depending on what they think will work with the particular consumers they are targeting.

Sales pitches include claiming they have bitumen left over from another job, so they can offer the job at a 'cheap price today only.'

Watered down bitumen is sometimes laid on ungraded or poorly graded ground and consumers find themselves out of pocket twice as they later have to pay another trader to have it removed and replaced.

On other occasions the traders were reported to have initially quoted a low cost, then a much higher payment was demanded during the work, with consumers often complying since they could not get their car out of the garage if the work was not finished.

Sometimes the scammers simply take large deposits, perform no work, and never return.

Consumers have no way to get a refund as these types of traders usually vanish.

People offering or carrying out home building work valued at more than $5,000 (labour and materials) on residential properties in NSW are required to be licensed.

Consumers should ask to sight a licence, which is similar to a credit card with details of the trader’s name and licence category.

Licences can also be checked online at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or call 13 32 20.

The public is urged to report any sightings to the national Travelling Conmen hotline on 1300 133 408 or to local police.

If you are approached and are suspicious, call the confidential Crimestoppers number on 1800 333 000.