Tourist warns of work rip-offSunshine Coast Daily | Anne-Louise Brown | 26th January 2010A TRIP to paradise has turned into hell for a German backpacker, who says he was ripped off by a scam artist.
Benjamin Hoerner, 30, arrived in Australia in December for a four-month trip of a lifetime. After spending the first month of his journey travelling from Sydney to Queensland, Benjamin decided to try to get some work as a farmhand. He thought he had hit the jackpot when he came across an online advertisement for farming vacancies at Caboolture.
“The man said he was a farmer and had a job for me straight away. He said he would pay me at least $17 an hour,” Benjamin said.
“When I arrived at Caboolture I gave the man $220 for two weeks’ board at a house he owned. The house was filthy and smelled terrible.
“It became very clear very quickly the man was not a farmer, though, and said he could only get me promotional or telemarketing work.”
Upon learning there was no farm work available Benjamin asked the man for his money back. However, the man would only return $120.
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