Have You Been Approached by this “Scam” in Orange County, NY?

I received a strange call from my wife last week. Some men had come to the front door with a bizarre proposal, and she was suspicious. It turns out she wasn't the only one in Newburgh to be offered this strange "deal" that many residents are calling a major scam.

Potential Scam in Orange County, NY

The deal (or scam, depending on who you ask) has to do with driveway paving at budget prices. Whether or not the offer is legitimate, they certainly picked the right house to try it on. If there's one thing that sticks out about our property in Newburgh, NY, it's our driveway. The years have eroded the pavement and there's potholes up and down the path that leads to our garage. We must look like the perfect target (or customer) for their "business". Here's what they offered.

Potential Paving Scam in Newburgh, NY

"We're paving a driveway of a home nearby", the pitch began, "and we have extra material. Instead of wasting it, we can pave at least a portion of your driveways at a steep discount, since our trucks are already in your area". My wife declined. She couldn't tell if the offer was honest or not, and furthermore, who wants a half-paved driveway? The plot thickened when I discovered many people in my area had been approached with similar offers, and many people believed it was a scam that could even lead to robbery.

"Scam" Details

"I had a guy... stop by and offer to pave my driveway for $3,500 (he said they had leftover materials from another job in the neighborhood) as opposed to the $4,500 he said they usually requested for my size driveway. I declined, just because I didn't know his work or had time to research the company... thought better safe than sorry", read a post in the neighborhood app NextDoor. The comments rolled in.

"No. Rip off... Very similar situation with my dad about 3-4 years ago. I called the police and they were looking for these guys", chimed in one Newburgh resident. "They’re scammers to see if you have cash at home", said another. After the third comment in all caps with five exclamation marks warning of dishonesty, I was grateful my wife so smartly passed on the offer.