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Chapter 1: What warning did Mary Staunton give about gardening scams?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk with Aviva Insurance.
Now, you know, Mary Staunton for her sound advice on all things gardening, but Mary is back with us for a different reason today. Hello, Mary. Hi, Clare. How are you? I'm very well. You're here with a warning and tell us what happened recently to your parents. So take us through the story.
OK, so last Wednesday, I got a phone call from my neighbour, Cliona, or next door to my mum, to say that there was something going on in mum and dad's garden and she couldn't get in contact with them and maybe I should ring. So I eventually got my dad, who said there were guys in doing the garden. And I said, but sure, what guys? Or, you know... Is that not your job? Exactly, exactly.
So I said, who invited them? Oh, your mum said she wants to make sure that you didn't have to do the taller things and all the rest of it. So I then found out that she'd handed over quite some of cash and that they were coming back the next day to get even more. And they rang her four times to make sure that she'd gone to the bank and that what time would she be back the next day?
So I made it my business to get out there for I think they were coming back at half twelve.
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Chapter 2: How did Mary's parents get involved in the gardening scam?
So I got out there for about half eleven and sat in the front garden. Well, took out the lawnmower, pretended to be cutting the grass. And next of all, this fellow rocks up in all of the best gear. And I'm talking, you know, branded, really good quality gardening gear to say that he was.
And he came into the drive and he said, I'm just going to go into the boss lady to make sure that I can get him. The van is on its way and I just want to get the rest of the money. And I said, but you did nothing yesterday. Not a thing. And you'd had a look, obviously, at the work that they had done. Nothing. OK. And he he kind of got a bit agitated. He didn't get aggressive or anything.
So he started to walk away from me. So I started videoing and I got him on video, the reg of the truck from the day before and the car that he was going to get away in with the rest of the money. So my warning is that if it's... arborists, tree surgeons, gardeners, they're so busy, they're not going around cold calling people. They don't have time to do that.
They're out actually doing legitimate work, paying their tax, doing really good work for people. And the insurance for tree surgeons and arborists is huge. So they're doing really good work with the best of gear, with the insurance and all that sort of thing. And then you have people cold calling.
Now, my mum and dad know really, you know, they used to say to us, don't open the door to, you know, such and such. Make sure you don't let anybody in. And it was just a weak moment. And then the embarrassment of letting somebody in. And the amount of text, Clare, that I've got off people to say, my aunt or my father let somebody in and he didn't tell us for a few days. He was so embarrassed.
He couldn't believe he did it. You know, all this sort of thing. And I'm really emotional about it because I just think, we've stopped. It's not that we've stopped. We have really good neighbours, but we really need to be keeping a close eye on what's going on in our neighbourhoods.
Yeah, well, I suppose you see your parents being exposed and a little bit vulnerable, and that's really hard to think that there are people out there who will prey on them. That's what makes it really upsetting. And, you know, you've put up the... I know you've talked about this on social media, but I see the leaflet that they had. I mean, this was a pro job. This was...
This was really well done, but there's no doubt in your mind that these guys were scammers.
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Chapter 3: What actions did Mary take when she discovered the scam?
Oh, without a shadow of a doubt, the website was fake for a start. The number that they rang my mother on to make sure she'd gone back down to the bank wasn't the number on the flyer at the bottom to start off. So I rang that number and I said, that's great. I have you now. I have your number to give to the guards as well.
So I have a collection of stuff now that I can go to the guards with and present them with all the evidence, if you like, that I have on them. It's it's you know, these guys and people like them are scamming people out of thousands, not just a couple of hundred, you know, not just a couple of hundred. So you get recommendations from your neighbours who have had work done.
Never let anybody in the driveway if if you haven't got a recommendation or you haven't seen the work. That's it's as simple as that. You know, did you report this to the guards? I did. I rang the guards and they said I had to go down and make a report. And so I've been in, obviously, I was up and off leading a talk on this week.
And so tomorrow I have to bring my dad to the dentist and I'll be crossing the road to Blackrock Garda station to make a statement. And, you know, the social media side has the reposting on, you know, the Instagram post I put up. That's what I wanted. I want everybody to see it, but repost it so that other people see it that maybe, you know, have never followed me and will never follow me.
That's the whole idea. And it is. Remind us again of your Instagram handle so people can find you. Yeah, it's Mary Staunton Official. On Instagram. Now, listeners saying the same thing happened to my mum who has dementia. The men were so brazen. They took her to the bank to get the cash out. They then sent friends from other gangs to say that she told them to call over to do the work.
But the guards were excellent. They got ring doorbells and cameras after it all happened. These people were well known to the guards. Preying on vulnerable older people is disgusting. Another one, this happened to my late dad a few years ago, roof tiles. My mum was frog marched to the bank to take out money and it was heartbreaking for us because dad was at home alone in his late 80s.
And that is the really upsetting thing about this, isn't it? As you said, that there are people willing to do this to them. So obviously, I mean, your parents, I'm sure, are well shook after it. But are you going to take any measures now as a result? Oh, don't be worried. There'd be all sorts of cameras, doorbell videos, the whole lot going up.
And the worst, the gas thing about this, I had sent a WhatsApp with the flyer to friends of mine in the WhatsApp group. And these guys were in Collins Avenue beside DCU handing out their leaflets on the Sunday morning. So luckily I'd sent it and she copped it straight away. Okay. OK, so the warning is just be careful and take recommendations. And I think that's really good advice.
Gardeners, tree surgeons, they're all too busy at the moment to be going door to door punting for business. They're not they don't have that capacity if they're any good. Yeah, that's exactly right. That's a good way to look at it. Mary, thanks so much for that.
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