OPP say Bancroft residents fell victim to driveway paving scam

After falling victim to a driveway paving scam, a number of residents in Bancroft, Ont., are issuing a warning to homeowners across Ontario.

Among them, out thousands of dollars, is Kara McLewee. She agreed to a home driveway paving job after a man in late March arrived at her doorstep offering to do the job for a price she couldn’t refuse.

“He just said we are doing quotes for driveways in the area and I just laughed to him and said, ‘Can you do it for under $10,000?'” McLewee said. “And he said yes, and I thought I would hear him out.”

However, the driveway paving was never completed. McLewee is out $3,000 she paid in advance for the work.

“He showed up early Tuesday and dumped off a load of what we now know is gravel,” she recalled. “But the asphalt — and we thought, ‘Oh good, he brought his product, he is going to do the work.’

“Unfortunately we handed him the money and he promised a guy would be back in 15 minutes (to do the work). Then he laughed and said you will never see me again.”

Two other neighbours also shared similar experiences with Global News. One neighbour’s driveway remains taped off, half completed. The homeowner is forced to park their vehicle on the roadside.

They called OPP once they realized they had all hired the same individual, whom McLewee described as having red hair and an “Irish or Newfoundland” accent.

OPP media relations co-ordinator Bill Dickson says they received several calls about driveway paving incidents in the area and have launched an investigation when they identified “some connections.”

Dickson warns the individuals are adapting and masking telltale signs their offered services are fraudulent.

“They seem to price themselves — not competitively with a good, professional job,” he said. “But they price it so it’s not outlandishly cheap but yet expensive enough or cheap enough for someone to go, ‘Yeah, I would like my driveway done.'”

OPP advise homeowners to never pay in advance for a job and be wary of individuals knocking on doors inquiring for work or arriving in vehicles not clearly marked representing a company.

“There have been groups traveling around,” Dickson said. “We heard reports earlier this year in Prince Edward County, down in the Belleville area there was a similar paving operation.

“This is something that goes on in not just this area but all across the province. We want to track these people down and hold them accountable for what they are doing.”

Last month, Peterborough County OPP also said it received calls from residents with concerns about possible scammers asking to pave driveways.

McLewee says she wants to make residents aware as the spring season is underway.

“We want to bring awareness to people that this is the beginning of his season,” she said. “And he’s going to be all over Ontario trying to scam people and he is very believable.”

OPP advise if a payment is asked upfront before a job is completed, it’s a “definite” red flag.

“If you enter into an agreement without asking all the right questions or checking references, it’s buyer beware so you may be out of luck and your only recourse may be civil court,” OPP stated. “As a consumer, it’s your responsibility to do your research and remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, chances are it is and it’s someone trying to scam you out of your money.”

— with files from Tricia Mason/Global News Peterborough