Lafayette News

State Police Issues Warning of Asphalt Paving and Seal Coating Scam — Canadian Lottery Check Cashing Scheme.

Be Wary Of Asphalt Paving and Seal Coating Scams

Residents are warned to be extremely cautious when selecting a contractor to pave a driveway or parking lot. Each summer, bands of con-artists, often referred to as traveling criminals or gypsy pavers, enter our state in order to scam unsuspecting homeowners and business people. They have been labeled Gypsies or Travelers primarily because they travel as families and groups and because of their nomadic ways. Their favorite targets are senior citizens.

Some of the asphalt paving scams warning signs are:

Selling door-to-door: Reputable asphalt/seal coating contractors will sometimes offer there services if they are doing a legitimate job in the immediate area. Always ask for references.

Claiming they have leftover asphalt or seal coating from another job: Professional asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material. Some of the reasons a contractor might have left over material are due to weather, equipment problems, cancellations and etc.

Push you to make a quick decision: Reputable contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for weeks or months. If the great deal they are offering you today is not available tomorrow or next week it may be a scam.
No contract offered: Insist upon a written contract specifying in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed upon price.

Cash only sales: Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards and don’t require cash-only terms.

Deals that seem to be good to be true: If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of the work will also be quite low.

Unmarked truck: Often the trucks they travel in are unmarked or they have an out of town address and phone number. A little research will reveal that they have no permanent address and the phone number is often an answering machine or a cell phone number.

Canadian Lottery Check Cashing Scheme

New Jersey State Police wants to alert residences to a new scheme — letters are being mailed from Canada to U.S. residents announcing that the addressee has won a foreign lottery. A counterfeit United States Postal Service check or a third party check is enclosed in each letter, with instructions to wire a portion of the money outside the country after depositing the check. The Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating this scheme.

Do not attempt to cash the check and wire the money. Call the Postal Inspection Service immediately at 877-876-2455.