Victorians warned of travelling con men

Melbourne pensioner Doreen Ditchfield says that at 85, she should have known better.

But a charming travelling con man with a Scottish accent tricked her into handing over $7300 in cash to remove mould and fix the guttering on her roof.

The work was never done, and Ms Ditchfield is not alone, says Consumer Affairs Victoria.

In December, unsuspecting Victorians were fleeced about $300,000 in similar scams.

"I'll change my name to Doreen Dill," Ms Ditchfield told reporters on Wednesday.

"I was embarrassed that I didn't wake up.

"I thought he was genuine, but I should have known because he wouldn't take a bank cheque."

A campaign to stop the travelling con men has been launched by Minister for Consumer Affairs Jane Garrett, supported by Consumer Affairs and CrimeStoppers.

The campaign includes advertisements in print and social media, and on TV and radio.

It urges Victorians to be sceptical of people who knock on their door and offer fix-up jobs - such as repainting the roof, cleaning the guttering or re-surfacing the driveway - for cash.

The con man disappears once the money is handed over.

Ms Garrett said perhaps the worst thing was that they targeted the vulnerable including "people like Doreen, those from non-English speaking backgrounds and increasingly stay-at-home mums and the disabled".