HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned about a pair of would-be painters doing the rounds of town offering a dodgy deal which could see you seriously out of pocket.

The Warwick Police contacted the Daily News yesterday to issue a warning about the pair - possibly a father and son outfit - after at least one local resident fell victim to the rorters.

A police spokesman said the homeowner paid the likely-unregistered duo nearly $1000 to paint the roof of their home in the last fortnight, but the results were less than professional.

"All the paint basically came off and the job overall was extremely sub-standard," the spokesman said.

"We just feel it's important that people are made aware there are people going around at this time offering to do work who are not a professional house painter."

The spokesman said one of the men was alleged to be aged in his 50's and the other is said to appear to be in his 20's, and they have been spotted travelling in a white Toyota Hilux tray back utility without signage.

Another resident whose suspicions were raised contacted the local police after the 'painters' turned up on their doorstep in recent days, fortunately foiling another scam attempt.

By law painting contractors must be registered with the Queensland Building Services Authority (QBSA) before they can legally offer their services.

Of further concern is that unless the perpetrators of such scams can be clearly identified and pinned down before they move on to another town the chances of recovering any monies paid for their services can be slim.

"There's not a lot we can do from the point of view of a police investigation unless we can prove fraudulent activity," the Warwick Police spokesman said.

"Elderly people can be particularly vulnerable when it comes to these kinds of individuals.

"We just urge people to be alert and wary, and to ask to check the credentials of anyone who turns up at the front door offering any form of home maintenance work, and to be on the lookout for the individuals who have been reported to us in recent days.

"It is unlikely they are locals - they will be opportunistic operators who move from town to town before they become too widely known to the locals."

Residents are urged to ask apparent contractors for proof of their current QBSA registration number before engaging them to perform work on their properties.

More information on scams and how to detect and report them can be found at http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au

A free online QBSA current licence search based on names can be performed at http://www.bsa.qld.gov.au