CAT: Home Improvement · REPORTED September 11, 2026

I was not provided a copy of the "contract" and do not remember actually being given one scam

A home improvement scam report, targeting a consumer in The Plains, VA, USA - 20198.

Narrative evidence

What happened

I was approached by Ronnie Garcia saying they had extra asphalt from a VDOT project up the road from me. His truck did not have a business name. They would provide the asphalt for free, I would pay for the tar. I specified a small part of the driveway and he pushed to do more, and in the end they did even more than agreed to, more than double the area. I was given the price per gallon, but he could not give an estimate of how much tar they would use. I signed a contract with the price per gallon, but no estimated amount of material. When all of the work was completed they said the price for the tar was $23,000. When I said I was shocked and did not have that kind of money he and his boss got angry and aggressive with me. Additionally, they also said they were not in a bad position because they could not repay VDOT and it would come out of his own pocket. I ended up giving him a check for $10,000, made out specifically to Ronnie Garcia and not a business. I stopped payment on the check. I was not provided a copy of the contract, "they left with it in the other truck"

Community warning

How to protect yourself from home improvement scams

  • Never send money, gift cards or crypto to anyone you have not independently verified.
  • Search the business name, website, email and phone number here before paying.
  • Be wary of urgency, secrecy, upfront fees and “too good to be true” prices.
  • If you have paid, contact your bank or card issuer immediately to dispute the charge.
  • Report to Action Fraud (UK), the FTC (US) or your national authority, and add your occurrence above.

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