Phony workmen conning people with old driveway paving scam

WPD detectives have received a couple of complaints this week about a scam involving driveway and parking lot paving. This scam reappears every few years, most often in the spring and summer months.

In both recent instances, local residents have been approached by work crews offering to pave their parking lots. In the first case, the man offering the services claimed to represent the “Richard Williams Paving Company,” and said he could offer a good deal because he had leftover materials from another job. The property owner agreed to have the work done, and then was charged $5400 for substandard work.

The second prospective customer never authorized the work to be done. The crew “paved” his parking lot and then tried to intimidate him into paying. He refused.

Variations of this scam are well-known. Often the paving, sealing or re-surfacing work is little more than black paint sprayed on the surface of a driveway or parking lot. The scam artists usually leave town before anyone catches up with them.

The best advice for consumers is to do business only with reputable companies that can supply local references and credentials. Anyone subjected to threats or intimidation should call 911.

INFORMATION FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE WWAY NEWSCHANNEL 3 NEWSROOM FROM THE WILMINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT