Tioga County’s Sheriff Offers Crime Prevention Tips

The Tioga County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls from residents reporting door to door home driveway paving solicitations.

Sheriff Gary W. Howard would like to remind all citizens to think crime prevention when dealing with these types of solicitations.

Prevention Tips:

Avoid Door to Door solicitations. Rely on local contractors or ask friends and

relatives for referrals.

Always ask for a written estimate which lists all materials and costs.

Avoid paying any money until the job is completed. Most legitimate contractors

will not require money in advance.

Be wary of contractors who claim to have left over materials from another work

site or offer to perform the service far below what one would expect to pay. If the

offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Avoid contractors who:

o offer you discounts for finding other customers;

o only accept cash payments;

o ask you to get the required building permits;

o do not list a business number in the local telephone directory;

o tell you your job will be a "demonstration;"

o pressure you for an immediate decision;

o offer exceptionally long guarantees;

o ask you to pay for the entire job up-front;

o suggest that you borrow money from a lender the contractor knows.

The public should contact the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office or their community’s police agency to report any suspicious solicitations.