BEND, OR -- Oregon's Construction Contractors Board is warning homeowners who need work done on their driveways not to fall for a deal that sounds too good to be true. Cheryl Martinis, with the CCB, says the repaving scam is a simple one, "Typically someone comes to a homeowner's door, says they have been working in the neighborhood and they have a lot of leftover supplies, so that's why they can offer this one-time, immediate, great low price on repaving a driveway."

The scammers then say they need to start work immediately, and demand a significant portion of the quoted price be paid up front. Martinis says if they do start work, they won't get far before asking for more, "They'll demand more money to finish the job. They'll say, 'You should've known this was going to cost us a lot more, you need to pay us,' and a lot of homeowners feel intimidated by that." She adds, "Be careful about how much they pay up front, they should always get something in writing about the work that's going to be performed. And never pay cash to an individual - you'll write a check to a business, use a credit card, that sort of thing."

Martinis tells KBND News, "People should always check out a contractor by getting their CCB License number and looking them up on our website to make sure they're active, and they can see if there's a complaint history." And, she says, it's a good idea to get a recommendation from a trusted source. "90% of the people are out there, trying to please their customers, and it's the small minority of scammers that gives everyone a bad name."