Fort Sask RCMP warn of door-to-door paving scams in region
Contractors are targeting homeowners with low-cost asphalt offers, then demanding extra payment or leaving substandard work behind.
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Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is warning residents of a targeted scam: contractors approaching homes with offers for cut-rate asphalt paving, collecting upfront payment, then delivering shoddy work or abandoning projects mid-way.
The pattern is consistent. A company arrives unannounced, claims to have leftover asphalt from a previous job, and quotes a suspiciously low price. They ask for cash upfront. Once work begins — or sometimes before completion — they demand additional payment. The material used is often substandard: recycled asphalt or a gravel-oil mixture that deteriorates quickly once driven on.
The contractors often provide little verifiable information about their identity. They may operate unmarked or generic vehicles, or sometimes use professional-looking branding to appear legitimate — making it harder for homeowners to distinguish a real company from a fly-by-night operation.
RCMP recommends several checks before hiring any contractor: ask for references and call previous customers; research the company through the Better Business Bureau or Alberta's Consumer Investigations Unit; demand a written quote that includes the company's full legal name, address, phone, GST number, and provincial/municipal licenses; verify the quote specifies material quantity and quality; and never pay upfront before work is completed.
"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," the RCMP said. Anyone suspecting a scam should contact the local RCMP detachment at 310-7267 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.