A recent scam in the community of Vanderhoof has set off alarm bells.
Police say someone contacted residents in Vanderhoof offering to pave driveways for a fee and then charged almost three times the amount of the original cost.
The scammers also did not deliver on the work, say police. The driveways themselves were not packed with asphalt but rather with what appears to be gravel that the victims were told would seal after a day or so.
Vanderhoof RCMP reports that it's possible that the scammers have moved on from Vanderhoof, but they would like the public to be aware of this recent scam in the community in the event you are approached by individuals looking to pave your driveway.
Driveway paving scams have been around for years, with countless victims being charged sometimes upwards of 8,000 for shoddy or even incomplete work.
Generally, these scams begin in person or with a pamphlet left at the door of your home.
The scammer then claims to be a contractor in the area with extra supplies willing to do a job at a discounted cost in order to get rid of the extra asphalt.
Contractors rarely, if ever, show up in person and can be very good at estimating how much material they will need for a paving job, meaning they will rarely have leftovers, as hot asphalt quickly dries when compacted.
The next telltale sign of a scam is the absence of any sort of written contract, permit from the city or marked company vehicles. The absence of even one of these details may be a key indicator that you might be the target of a scammer
Scammers may claim to be offering discounts but will ask for a large portion of the funds upfront before the job is complete. Then, often, when work is underway, they may ask for more money to complete the work due to ‘unforeseen circumstances.’
Here are some more tips to ensure that the work being done to your home is legitimate
- Make sure to stagger payments: Most legitimate contractors will have no issue being paid the majority of the funds after work is complete; scam workers will
- Research the company beforehand: If the company seems to have little to no online presence with no customer reviews, they may be scammers
- Get a contract: Contracts are in place to protect the business and the customer. Any business that doesn't make you sign something may be trying to take advantage of you
- Use safe payment methods: In a worst-case scenario, credit card companies are more than willing to reimburse you after a scam. If you write a check, write it to the company doing the work, not an individual
If you have any information on the scams in Vanderhoof, call the Vanderhoof RCMP at (250) 567-2222.
