Police warn of driveway paving scam in Newmarket, Ont.

A York Regional Police car is seen in this undated photo.

Police are warning residents about an ongoing scam by suspects pretending to offer driveway paving services in Newmarket, Ont.

York Regional Police issued a news release on Tuesday that says residents in the area have lost thousands of dollars so far due to the scam.

As part of the scam, victims are approached by a group of people outside their homes. Members of the group offer same-day driveway paving for cash while providing no formal written agreement, police said.

“The work being done is reportedly poor as the suspects do not remove old asphalt nor prepare the ground properly,” officers said in the news release. “When the job is only partially done, they often leave stating that they will return, but they don’t finish the job or clean up large messes left behind.

“The suspects generally provide a higher quote for the paving job than what a professional paving company would quote.”

Police said that at least one of the suspects is a male with an Irish-sounding accent.

Investigators are warning residents in the area to be cautious when considering unsolicited services. They advise residents to ask for references and to do additional research to verify if the company is legitimate.

Police said they believe there are more victims and are asking them to come forward and report their incidents.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7141, or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips.