Cloquet Police Department Warns Local Residents of Paving Scam

Cloquet Police Department has issued an advisory warning local residents of a possible gypsy paving scam that may be operating in the area. These types of scams typically occur by transient companies that attempt to sell left over paving material at an inflated rate or at a reduced rate using poor materials and/or workmanship.

The loss costs from these types of scams can be thousands of dollars.

Warnings signs for a gypsy paving scams are:

1. Selling door-to-door: Reputable asphalt contractors will sometimes offer their services if they are doing a legitimate job in the immediate area. Always ask for references.

2. Claiming they have leftover asphalt from another job: Professional asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material. Some of the reasons a contractor might have left over material are due to weather, equipment problems, cancellations and etc.

3. Push you to make a quick decision: Reputable contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for weeks or months. If the great deal they are offering you today is not available tomorrow or next week it may be a scam.

4. No contract offered: Insist upon a written contract specifying in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed upon price.

5. Cash only sales: Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards and don’t require cash-only terms.

6. 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.

7. 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.

If you encounter a situation that you believe is a scam, you're asked to dial 911 or contact your local law enforcement agency.