GREENLAWN, N.Y. (WCBS 880) -- A driveway paving scam that was popular a decade ago is making a comeback on Long Island, with dozens of victims scammed out of thousands of dollars already.
Among the victims is a 92-year-old woman in Greenlawn who paid $9,000 to have her driveway redone by scammers who left the driveway cracked, uneven and multicolored.
“It had gotten a skim coat of asphalt on it,” her daughter said of the driveway. “She paid $5,500 to have a skim coat of asphalt on it.”
After applying the thin coat of asphalt to the driveway, the scammers returned days later and applied a layer of paint to a section of it.
“The following week, someone came and painted this, just this part of the beginning of the driveway—charged her another $3,500,” the daughter said.
The woman has lived here for 70 years but is now afraid after a scammer threatened her if she didn’t hand over the money for the terrible job, her daughter said.
“My mother went to a neighbor’s home and was very upset, very distressed,” she said.
This is how the scam works: Someone comes by without an appointment claiming they’re working on a neighbor’s house and have extra asphalt. They promise a new and beautiful driveway, but instead they charge the homeowner thousands of dollars for a shoddy job and leave a mess behind.
Some residents are getting knocks at their doors, while others are outside in their yards when they suddenly become victims.
A man from Nassau County said he was conned by a man who approached him and said he had extra asphalt on his truck that needed to be used up because it’s kept at a certain temperature.
“The way that he was dressed, the way he was speaking kind of made it seem very plausible,” the victim said.
His advice for residents: “I would say that if someone just approaches you on your property and you don’t have an appointment or any type of arrangement with them, that’s instantly a red flag.”
Many victims are afraid to come forward because they’re embarrassed. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said they shouldn’t stay silent.
“I think it’s important that people report when they’ve been scammed so that we can investigate and apprehend these individuals,” Blakeman said.
Rosalie Drago, Suffolk County’s Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs commissioner, said homeowners should make sure anyone they hire is licensed.
“When you’re licensed with Suffolk County for home improvement, depending on the category, you pass the test to prove competency, we see that you have insurance,” Drago said.
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