People reminded to check business licenses
By RACHEL LANEArticle Photos
ST. MARYS - After a driveway was paid for but not finished, local law enforcement officials encourage Mid-Ohio Valley residents to check the state business license.
About a week ago, six young men stopped at Betty and Truman A. Wilson's home in St. Marys, offering to pave the driveway with asphalt. It sounded like a good deal, so the Wilsons agreed to let them do the work. They started working, took a break for lunch and never returned.
"They told us they would return at 2 (p.m.) to finish after a lunch break... They were going to bring more asphalt and sealer," Wilson said.
The men would not accept a check, so the Wilsons paid for the work in cash before the men left for lunch, Betty Wilson said. The Pleasants County couple wanted to make sure the men had enough money to purchase the remaining asphalt.
"We trusted them," she said. "We probably won't get our money back, but this may help someone else."
A Pleasants County Sheriff's Department spokesman said an incident that sounds exactly the same happened a couple of weeks ago in Putnam County. The sheriff's departments are exchanging information.
The spokesman said a similar incident happened in April in the county.
Men came offering to black top an elderly couple's driveway, one of the men came inside for a drink of water and the next day the couple noticed medicine missing from the home.
"If someone comes knocking on your door to trim your trees, paint your house or do your driveway, call the sheriff's department," she said.
Don't pay until the work is complete and check the person's state contractor's license, she said. A business telephone number and the year it is valid should be printed on the license.
"Usually they do it to the elderly and (the victims) are embarrassed to report it," said Vienna police Chief Steve Stephens.
He said no one in Vienna has reported a similar incident in several years, but people should be cautious of anyone appearing on their doorstep and offering to do work for a good price.
"They have to have a state contractor's license," and a Vienna city contractor's license, Stephens said.
Other law enforcement offices, including Belpre and Parkersburg police departments, indicated they have not had any similar scams reported this year.Contractor's licenses have license numbers that can be checked at http://wvlabor.org/contractsearch.cfm. A telephone call to the West Virginia Division of Labor, (304) 558-7890, may help verify a license number, but phone calls may not be returned immediately.
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4PetesSake
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08-22-08 11:41 AM
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I live in Augusta, Ga and we have the "Irish Travelers" or "Gypsies" in the area. I'll bet that these theives drove a Ford truck and had South Carolina license plates. They travel all over the United States and scam good people like the Wilsons and don't even regret it. This type of incident happens all over, even to a retired Sergeant Major here in Augusta. They are very good con artists.
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PR1959
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08-22-08 9:25 AM
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The only way scumbags like this can get by with this, is if people let them. This incident had all kinds of "red flags" that hopefully people will recognize after reading this article.Think people!
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SHELIA
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08-22-08 9:15 AM
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They are on the same level as the grave-robbers.
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teaglass97
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08-22-08 12:38 AM
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This is a sad story but yet so many of these scams go on throughout the country. I wish the family well in their quest to bring these con-men to justice.
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