COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Boone County officials are warning residents of a scam involving unsolicited offers for asphalt work after several people complained about shady, high-pressure pitches.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that an elderly Boone County woman recently lost $11,000 to the scam.
The Missouri attorney general's office alerted the sheriff last week about people approaching homeowners and offering to do asphalt work with materials left over from another nearby job.
Officials say that kind of approach is typical of scammers who offer unsolicited home improvement work. The sheriff says legitimate companies don't operate that way, and sales people who use high-pressure tactics or demand payment in advance should be avoided.
Residents also are urged to seek multiple bids when hiring a company to do such work.