WINCHESTER, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Police in Winchester are warning residents of an asphalt scam making the rounds in the community.

Police said they are aware that a truck is in town claiming to be from an asphalt paving company, and the driver is soliciting business door-to-door, offering to pave your driveway with leftover asphalt from other jobs in the area at a discounted rate.

The scammers will ask for payment up front, then disappear with no way of contacting them, or they will perform the work unprofessionally.

Winchester Police cited the Better Business Bureau, advising consumers to beware of such offers.

The BBB says paving contractors are very good at estimating how much material they’ll need for a job due to the price and temperature constraints and says no reputable paving company would have a substantial amount of asphalt leftover from a previous job, and even if there was, it wouldn’t be usable.

There have been several reports recently to the BBB about fraudulent contractors scamming homeowners who need new driveways.

“They often end up with shoddy pavement, nothing at all, and/or thousands of dollars in fees,” the department said in a post on Facebook. “Some homeowners (in other areas) have lost more than $8,000 in the process.”

Winchester police said the resident who was contacted told the driver they weren’t interested and reported the interaction, but didn’t say how many other residents were contacted or if anyone had already fallen victim to the scam.

Police say to be wary of unsolicited offers, and research companies and contractors. If they have multiple negative reviews and complaints or appear to have been involved in fraudulent activities in the past, don’t hire them. Also be sure to ask for an estimate in writing before payment is discussed and don’t let a contractor start working on a project without a signed contract and description of the work, materials, payment, and warranty information. The department also suggests staggering payments and using safe payment methods. If you pay with a credit card your credit card company can help assist you with any fraud, and if you write a check, be sure to make it out to a company, not an individual.

“Paying cash or using an electronic wallet app is risky since there is no way to stop the payment or get some money back if anything goes wrong,” the post says.

Anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to a contractor scam should report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker, and contact your local police department.