How the driveway repair scam works, according to St. Clair Shores police

According to WXYZ-TV, men are driving through St. Clair Shores neighborhoods looking for cracked driveways, porches, and sidewalks, then knocking on doors with a cheap, urgent fix. Police say officers have taken multiple reports of the same pitch.

The scam depends on speed, not stealth. The men do not case a house in advance or research the owner. They drive the street, spot a visible crack, and knock. That is the whole targeting method: a driveway a stranger can see from a car window.

What the pitch looks like

A St. Clair Shores resident named Carol had two men pull up and knock on her door. One pointed at her driveway and offered to fix it for 400 dollars. Her Ring camera recorded the exchange. She had already collected other quotes and knew a real repair would run around 1,000 dollars, far more than the 300 to 400 dollars the men asked for.

The low price is not a discount. It is the mechanism. A number well under the going rate is designed to get a homeowner to say yes before comparing it to anything else. Carol had a comparison ready, which is what let her catch it.

The tell

Carol noticed the truck had no company name on it. Nothing identified who the men worked for, and the man making the pitch struck her as off once the conversation went on. Police say the men apply an unknown substance to the crack without completing any real repair. The money is taken upfront, before any work happens, and the work itself is never finished properly.

That order matters. Payment comes first. Once it changes hands, there is no repair to inspect and no company name to trace. The transaction is designed to be over before the homeowner has anything to check.

What police are asking for

Officers are asking residents to pay attention, particularly if they see someone making this kind of offer to an older neighbor. Anyone who spots suspected scammers in the area is asked to call police while the men are still nearby, so officers have a chance to find them and speak with them.

Carol kept her 400 dollars because she checked the price against quotes she already had, and because an unmarked truck and an odd manner gave her pause. She plans to file a police report. Her advice: check everything out before doing anything, and call someone first.

The pattern police describe is not one home targeted after study. It is a moving pitch tried on whichever house has a visible crack that day, which means the same men are likely to try the same offer on a neighbor next.