Lincolnshire Trading Standards is investigating after reports of a company touting for business by claiming to be working for the county’s highways team.
Lincolnshire County Council say there’s been reports of scammers offering to carry out work on private land because they claim to have tarmac leftover from other jobs.
They then send what the authority said was a large bill for the work.
Senior Trading Standards Officer, Sally Gray, explained: “We’ve been made aware of a company who are allegedly misleading people into believing they are from our highways team and offering to carry out resurfacing work such as tarmacking or repairing potholes on private land.
“These scammers are claiming to be working on the roads nearby and will have tarmac left over.
“Once the work has been done, the individuals are then left with a huge, unexpected bill.
“Residents should take care to research any company before agreeing to contract them for any work. In this case, especially if they are responsible for a community facility – like a local sports club – or a town or parish council in the south of the county, as these seem to be the main targets.”
Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “A highways officer, or one of our contractors, would never approach someone out of the blue and offer to do work for them.
“If you are ever unsure whether someone is working on behalf of the highways team, contact the council on 01522 552222 to confirm before agreeing to anything.”
If you think a business has broken the law or acted unfairly, you can report them to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. Visit www.
citizensadvice.org.uk or call the consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
