RCMP Investigate Paving Scam

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - RCMP spokesman Constable Gary Godwin says a file has been opened following complaints by the public about a paving company that promised to do a number of driveways in the Western Acres and Haldi Rd area last week, only to leave the jobs unfinished after they had been paid.

Const. Godwin says people who have been talked into putting money up front to have work done should contact Const Shanks at 250- 561-3300, or ask for Godwin. The RCMP has opened a file Goodwin says, "But so far we think this is just a scam and we are looking to see if it crosses the line."

In six cases reported so far, six residents have paid a total of $23,500 dollars to have re-cycled paving put on their driveways only to find that as soon as they paid,  the work stopped.

Darlene Green who lives in the area said she was approached by a man who said his name was James and said they were paving a road nearby and had some extra material which they could use to do her driveway.  Green was told  the  work would  normally cost $7600 dollars but they would do the job today for only $6,000 if she paid up front. "Before I gave them the money, they came with a bobcat and a dump truck and began the work fixing up the driveway. The Bob cat owner was from Prince George, so I thought they were legitimate"  She  says  she was ten approached by "James" who advised if she wanted the rest of the work done, she would need to pay them now. When she returned with the $6,000 dollars they quit working saying they would be back tomorrow. She never heard from them again.

The local Bobcat owner says he quit working for the pair after he became suspicious about the two and warned the home owners. It however was too late.

The President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, Lynda Pasacreta, says the company pulled the same scam in Richmond last year and  in Kamloops. In that case they said they were from City link Paving. In Prince George the company was called Western Recycle.  The men had a British accent, the same as here in Prince George. In the Kamloops case when the woman of the home became suspicious after they had completed some of the basic work, she was hassled to go to the bank and withdraw money right away. They were very aggressive according to Pasacreta.

"They are very slick" she says, "very personable, but they can be very aggressive when they want your money."

The trucks being driven by the men according to Gary Godwin have Alberta license plates on them, but their business card shows an address in Vancouver.  Opinion 250 checked  to find that address is a 42 suite apartment block. The phone number given rings to Chilliwack to a man named Ron.

Police are asking anyone else who may have been hit by the scam to come forward, "we will keep your name private; we just want to see the extent of this scam" says Constable Godwin.

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