Once issued the citations, Stanley and his crew left town and last were seen heading south toward Bangor, Flagg said.

Residents who believe they were scammed should call local or state police. The Attorney General's Office guide for police and district attorneys suggests that homeowners and police should ask whether the driveway paver has a permanent place of business in town and if not, to show its state registration card.

Call the Licensing Division at the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation at 624-8603 to confirm the seller is registered.

nsambides@bangordailynews.net

794-8215

Potential signs of a scam paving contractor

• Out-of-town or out-of-state addresses. Most reputable contractors are local.
• Inconsistencies such as business cards listing one address and license plates or other data listing another. Scam companies will promise one price, say $1,000, at a job's start, but double or triple the bill once the work is done.
• Cheap paving work is usually underdug. It is often 2 or 3 inches thick at a driveway's edge, but thins to a half-inch at the driveway's center. Good driveways take hours to dig and finish properly. Quick work is a sign of fraud.
• Under state law, contractors must be state-registered, provide written contracts and estimates of work, and allow a three-day grace period, in which customers can cancel the signed contracts, before work can begin. Anything else is likely a fraud.