SLO County Sheriff’s Office warns of recent increase in asphalt paving scams hitting the area

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office issued an alert to the public warning about a recent increase in asphalt paving scams in the local area.

Deputies were called to Huasna Township in January and to Nipomo just last week in connection with the scam noted the countywide law enforcement agency.

The scams usually involve people posing as contractors and approaching homeowners with an offer to pave their driveway at a discount stated the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Sometimes the scammers will claim they have leftover materials from another job and rely on high-pressure tactics to rush homeowners into making a rapid decision usually for a cash-only offer detailed the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Once the work is completed, scammers have demanded inflated prices for the job, sometimes two, three, or even ten times the original verbal agreement warned the Sheriff's Office.

The hope for scammers is that homeowners are pressured enough to settle for the much higher prices.

Just as concerning is that the work is often low-quality, improperly installed, or too thin to last explained the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Below are some tips from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office on how to protect yourself from this and other types of scams:

• Do not accept unsolicited, door-to-door offers for paving services
• Verify the person's contractor license through the California Contractors State License Board or the Better Business Bureau
• Obtain at least three written estimates from reputable companies
• Require a written contract before work begins with the company's name, address, phone number, license number, and a detailed description of the planned work
• Avoid paying in cash by using a check or credit card to ensure a record of the transaction