Possible driveway scammer caught in action in Santa Barbara County neighborhood

Another possible scam hits Santa Barbara County. It comes after reports from earlier this week of men approaching neighborhood residents offering deals to re-pave their driveways.

An asphalt company calling themselves “Thomson Drive Seal” was quick to hop into their truck and drive away once they were approached by a NewsChannel 3 news crew to ask some questions about the company on Friday. One of the workers fled on foot. Both hid their faces as cameras rolled.

A Santa Barbara County resident, who asked to remain anonymous, reached out to NewsChannel 3 worried she was the newest victim of a driveway scam that first came to light earlier in the week. On Monday morning some men knocked at her door looking to repave her driveway for a discount.

“There was a guy in a construction vest who says he can redo my driveway. He said he would give me a great deal, because he had extra stuff once they finish a job, extra driveway material that they have to get rid of before they can load up again for the night and he would give me a great deal,” the resident said.

She got concerned when she saw the story earlier this week about a Montecito woman who was approached for similar work. Gary Fuller captured video Tuesday night of a man with an Irish accent looking to seal his drive way. That’s similar to the man who showed up in front of the woman’s house.

“They are white males probably probably in their 30s and with a British accent. They said they were from the UK,” the resident said.

The offer was the same. Fixing driveways with a discount due to extra material.

“He told me $1,800 and then when he started looking at one corner were there was a tree root he said it was going to be $2,500. Then the next day he came back and started tearing up the driveway and said, ‘Oh this is worst than we thought. It is going to be an extra $500.’ Once they finished the job they said they needed cash and it was going to be an extra $1,000 for a total of $3,500.”

She paid in cash, did not receive a receipt, and so far the work is nothing like she was promised.

“Now a couple of days later cracks are showing up. I feel like they are scamming me. I mean they didn’t do a good job. They didn’t give me $3,500 worth of driveway finishing which is what I was hoping.”

Her neighbors in the area feel the same way.

“It didn’t look right to me,” said Lawrence Johnson, a Santa Barbara County resident. “I don’t do asphalt that way.”