The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Russell County is warning residents of an alleged fraudulent pavement company.
Police say they received a call on Tuesday at around 5:20 p.m. from a resident in Bourget alleging that a man knocked on their door at 3 p.m. and offered to pave their driveway for $4,000.
When the complainant agreed, a crew showed up and started preparing the driveway for the job. However, when the complainant found that they were using their gardening tools, they tried to speak with them. The employees said “it was too much trouble” and decided to leave, according to police.
The complainant did not pay the $4,000.
“There was no company name on any of the vehicles and no business card was provided,” the OPP said on X on Wednesday.
The man is described as being Caucasian, with blondish hair. At the time, he was wearing a white shirt and slacks. He was also driving an unknown white pick-up truck.
The OPP is asking people to follow the following tips to avoid falling victims to fraudsters:
- Think twice before making any business decisions, especially if the deal seems too good to be true.
- Don’t handout money before the job is done with.
- Check the company’s name with the Better Business Bureau.
- Check the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website for information about fraudulent companies.