Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies search for “paving scam” suspects

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies are searching for three men who tried to trick a resident using the almost-forgotten "paving scam."

The three men drove up to a residence in a white work truck and offered a deal on driveway paving claiming they had extra materials.

Fortunately, in this story, the neighbor of the victim who was approached recognized the scam and warned them. The victim then contacted the Sheriff's Office, however, the men fled the area before deputies arrived.

The Sheriff's Office said, when a victim agrees to the paving scammers' initial offer, they become caught in a series of price increases. The scammers will then typically ask for a partial payment before abandoning the job before it is completed.

Sheriff's deputies ask that the community contact them if they