Full Notification

May 26, 2010


Topic: Home Improvement and Paving Scams

The season has begun for groups and individuals to strike our area to commit scams against unsuspecting residents. Some of these groups have ethnic backgrounds and the most active in our area are “Ethnic Irish Travelers” (Ethnic Irish Travelers is the name designated by federal law enforcement agencies that track these types of groups). These groups are sometimes referred to as Gypsies, and they travel from state to state committing different types of scams. Some of the commons scams include;
1. Creating a contract and requesting money down and not returning,
2. Completing poor quality work, and charging too much money,
3. Using the opportunity to get access to the property and commit burglaries.

Over the past few years, several individuals have been arrested for committing these scams. The Irish Traveler groups are considered organized crime groups, but most are non-violent in nature. Last year a group was in the area and one of the subjects was in possession of a handgun during his arrest.

The Irish travelers routinely come to New Jersey at the beginning of spring and move from town to town, usually staying at local motels. These groups commonly use pickup trucks or SUV’s which usually have out-of-state plates. Most of the Irish Travelers will have an Irish type accent. The groups will go door to door or leave flyers in mailboxes and doors. The flyers commonly have fictitious addresses and phone numbers printed on the flyers. These groups will use stories such as “we are paving one of your neighbor’s houses down the road and we will have extra blacktop, we will reduce the price since we need to use it. We will be back on another day to do the work, but we need a percentage up front”. They take the money and do not return. This is sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The Readington Township Police Department and areas throughout Hunterdon and Somerset Counties have had interactions with Irish travelers within the last month. The business names that have been used recently are VALLEY PAVING, FRIENDLY BLACKTOP, DUN-RITE PAVING AND J&M CONSTRUCTION, LLC. The most recent is J&M Construction which lists an address of 531 Rte 22 East Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889. This address is the King’s Supermarket Mall and this is a fictitious address for J&M Construction.

The Readington Township Police Department would like to request the assistance of the residents of this township and neighboring towns to be aware of these groups and report them to the law enforcement agency that handles your area.

Below are some facts that you should know prior to agreeing to have home improvements completed at your home, by a scammer or a legitimate business:

1. Ask to see their Solicitors Permit, if they are going door to door. (Readington Twp requires a permit for door to door soliciting.)

2. Request to see proof of registration with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. (Contractors are required to register with the state, and it is a crime if they do not). This includes out of state contractors.


3. Request to see proof of commercial general liability insurance. (The state requires insurance for coverage of a minimum $500,000. This must be filed with the state.)

4. Ask for references if they claim to be working in the area.

5. All registered contractors are required to prominently display their registration number on advertisements, business documents, and place of business. New Jersey registered commercial vehicles must have the number displayed on the company vehicles. Any home improvement contract for a purchase price of in excess of $500.00, and all changes in the terms and conditions, shall be in writing.


Some suggestions if you feel that you have or may think that you are about to be scammed:

1. Take as much information as possible (person and vehicle descriptions, documents, direction of travel, etc…).

2. Do not offer cash. A check can be canceled and if the check is cashed, it can be tracked to assist in the investigation.

3. Do not become involved in an argument or conflict, call the police.

4. Call the police immediately, do not wait!!!

For more information on Consumer Fraud you can visit www.njconsumeraffairs.gov . You can also call (973) 504-6200 Consumer Hotline or (800) 242-5846 (toll free, New Jersey only).










Sincerely,



Detective Patrick Gooley
908-534-4034 Ext. 241
[email protected]