Fraudster Printing Fake Building Consents in Hastings

One homeowner has already fallen victim to a fake building consent scam and Hastings District Council is warning others not to fall for the same trick.

In November, a man calling himself Matthew Logan offered to do building work for the Hastings couple and to take responsibility for getting building consents.

He then presented them with a crude imitation of a HDC building consent, complete with council’s logo, issued to Matthew Logan.

The man asked for a deposit of several thousand dollars, the couple paid the money and then he disappeared.

Environmental manager, Ian Macdonald says a man with connections to Hawke’s Bay, Hapeta Mathews, was convicted in June last year of a similar scam in Christchurch using the same alias.

However, there is no evidence at this stage it is the same man.

“Homeowners need to be very careful when using a middleman to obtain consents. Many builders do the paperwork on behalf of homeowners but you still need to do your own homework on their background.”

The fraudster offered the couple references, proof of liability insurance and had a sound knowledge of building terminology and council process.

If people have concerns, Mr Macdonald says the only true way of verifying if a consent has been lodged or approved is to call the council directly.

If anyone else has been involved in a similar scam they should contact the council on 871 5000 or the Hastings Police.