For many people, the warmer weather means it’s time to start on outdoor projects, including paving work on driveways and parking lots.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office reminds citizens to be leery of con artists who try to scam unsuspecting homeowners and business people. Some of the warning signs of a paving scam include selling door-to-door, no contract offered, and cash only sales.
The sheriff’s office says don’t be rushed into making a decision and recommends researching companies with the Better Business Bureau.
The following information is courtesy of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:
Watch out for Asphalt Paving Scams
As the Iowa weather gets warmer and the mixed or recycled asphalt paving season begins, consumers are warned to be extremely cautious when selecting a contractor to pave a driveway or parking lot. Each paving season, bands of con artists, often referred to as traveling criminals, enter Iowa in order to scam unsuspecting homeowners and business people. Their favorite targets are senior citizens. Some of the mixed or recycled asphalt paving scams warning signs are:
· Selling door-to-door. Reputable mixed or recycled asphalt contractors will rarely, if ever, sell their product door-to-door.
· Claiming they have leftover mixed or recycled asphalt from another job. Professional mixed or recycled asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is
needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material.
· Push you to make a quick decision. Reputable contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for days or weeks. If the great deal they are offering you today is not available
tomorrow or next week it is probably a scam. Never hire someone on the spot. Ask for references, then check them!
· No contract offered. Insist on a written contract specifying in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed total price – not the price per square foot. Chances are unless you measured the area to be paved you do not know what the total cost will be.
· Cash only sales. Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards and don’t require cash only terms.
· Deals that seem to be good to be true. If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of the work will also be quite low.
· Unmarked truck. Often the trucks they travel in are unmarked or they have an out-of-town address and phone number. A little research will reveal that they have no permanent address and
the phone number is often an answering machine.
A professionally designed and properly constructed mixed or recycled asphalt pavement will last for many years and most reputable contractors will stand behind their work. They will also know whether or not a permit could be required before work begins. Consumers are safer dealing with a contractor who has roots in the community. Know whom you are doing business with!
According to the National Sheriff’s Association the Top scams in 2014 were:
No. 1 — IRS Imposter Scams: You receive a threatening phone call supposedly from the IRS claiming
you have overdue taxes. Out of fear, many people pay without first checking with the IRS as to the validity
of the call. What to do? Hang up and report the call to your local police department and BBB.
No. 2 — Tech Support: Callers, who claim to be from Microsoft, Norton or even Apple, claim they’ve
noted a problem on your computer and can fix it for you. Once they’re given access, malware is
downloaded to steal personal information.
No. 3. — “Are You Calling Yourself”: Scammers make a call look like it’s coming from anywhere, even from you.
No. 4 — Copycat Websites: Emails, texts or social media posts direct you to what looks like familiar retailer websites but are instead phony websites designed to steal your credit card info.
No. 5 — Medical Alert: A company calls claiming a concerned family member has ordered a medical
alert device for you and now they need your credit card or banking information before sending the device — which never arrives.
No. 6 — Grandparent Scam: Also known as the emergency scam, this scam preys on seniors who get a
call or email supposedly from their grandchild or other relative who was injured, arrested or robbed while traveling overseas and is in need of money.
No. 7 — Government Grants: You get a call saying you’ve been awarded a government grant worth
thousands of dollars. All you have to do to collect is pay a fee via wire transfer or prepaid debit card.
No. 8 — Robocalls: “Rachel from Cardholder Services” made a resurgence in 2014. This scam claims to lower your credit card interest rates, takes personal information and then charges fees to your card.
No. 9 — Click Bait: Click bait schemes use celebrity images, fake news and enticing stories to trick you into unintentionally downloading malware onto your computer.
No. 10 — Sweepstakes: You’ve won a contest! The lottery! The Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes! To claim your prize you’re instructed to pay fees and/or taxes so your prize can be released.
What You Can Do:
 Don’t be pressured into making fast decisions.
 Research the organization at bbb.org.
 Never provide personal information (address, birth date, banking information, ID numbers) to people you do not know or trust.
 Don’t click on links from unsolicited email or text messages.
 If you are unsure about a call or email that claims to be from your bank, utility company, etc., call the business from the number on your bill or the back of your credit card.
 Never send money by wire transfer or prepaid debit card to someone you don’t know or haven’t
met in person.
 Never send money for an emergency situation unless you’ve been able to verify the emergency (i.e. call another family member).
As always, feel free to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with any questions, comments, or concerns.