The North Bay Police Service says some guys in a red pickup are travelling around the city trying to scam victims into paying for driveway repairs.
The scammers go door-to-door offering unsolicited repairs.
Some people have been approached by potential scammers claiming to offer cheap driveway repair services.
"The offers have been unsolicited by victims. The scammers have been reported as travelling in a red Ford F150 truck and going door-to-door offering the service," says a news release.
"Protect yourself if you are contacted by one of these potential scammers. Unsolicited repair services are not how traditional, legitimate businesses operate."
The scammers claim that they have been doing work in your area and noticed that your driveway is in need of some repairs. The scammer offers to give you a discount because they are already doing other jobs in the area and can use leftover materials to work on your driveway.
Cold calls for driveway paving and roofing are common and usually work this way: they offer to do a service, then claim they can not complete the service unless they get more materials, for which they need more money. Even though they have already agreed on a set timeline or price, the consumer gets scammed when they have to fork over more money to complete the project.
The Competition Bureau of Canada offers some tips to protect yourself against these types of Service Scams:
If someone comes to your door, ask to see some identification. You do not have to let them in, and they must leave if you ask them to.
If you are interested in what a door‑to‑door salesperson has to offer, take the time to find out about their business and their offer before you decide to pay any money,
Contact the Competition Bureau, provincial and territorial consumer affairs offices or the Better Business Bureau of your province or territory if you are unsure about a seller that comes to your door.
