BBB, police say Winnipeggers getting hoodwinked by contractor scams

If you’re looking to get your driveway paved in Winnipeg, make sure you aren’t hooked by a new scam going around.

The con involves shady contractors taking payment, but then doing deliberately low-quality work — or none at all.

The Better Business Bureau of Central Canada’s Marian Henry says the scam is a pretty simple one, and the BBB has received complaints about two different companies.

“The contractor either leaves a pamphlet or shows up at the door, claiming they’re doing work in your area,” Henry told 680 CJOB’s The Start.

“They’ve got extra paving supplies, and they’ve noticed the condition of your driveway or sidewalk. Because they’re already there, they offer to give you a discount.

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“Once the transaction’s complete, the scam contractor just disappears altogether … or they do the work, but the contractor’s work is shoddy and unprofessional.”

3:07 Bancroft residents warn others about an Ontario-wide driveway paving scam

Winnipeg police say their financial crimes unit is also investigating similar reports, and a rash of contractor scams have already been reported in Ontario.

Bill Dickson of the Ontario Provincial Police told Global Winnipeg the scammers in that province tended to target low-income people and seniors with the same strategy that has been reported in Manitoba.

“We had a couple of people independently call and report that they’d had driveway work either done that was completely unacceptable, or there was work promised, and it never either started or never finished,” he said.

“And then we started putting the pieces together that we had, an organized group in the area.”

Dickson said it’s not surprising the scammers have moved on to new territories.

“It seems to be very transitory… we had a similar group, maybe the same group, wandering through parts of Ontario in 2023 as well,” he said.

“So maybe it’s a cyclical thing. When they find that the heat is on, they move on to greener pastures, and try to find new victims to prey upon.”

Henry said Manitoba has numerous accredited paving companies doing honest work, so it’s important to do your research, and to never give full payment until the work is done and you’re satisfied with the result.

“Be very leery of unsolicited offers. Most scams involving contractors begin with a random contractor coming to you and trying to give you a quote for something you’ve never requested, or giving you an estimate that’s discounted.

“It’s always recommended that customers do their due diligence.”

4:03 Better Business Bureau releases report on top scams in 2023

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