CHATTANOOGA DRIVEWAY HEIST REVEALED TO BE A SCAM
A bizarre incident in which a realtor’s vacant listing had its entire driveway removed and hauled away has been revealed as an elaborate scam. Paige Batten, the listing agent, initially believed workers had simply gone to the wrong address after security footage showed trucks taking the concrete.
The trail led to local contractor Donnie McSears of McSears Concrete Finishing, who discovered he was the primary victim. McSears had been contacted via text by a person identifying himself as “Dean Williams,” claiming to be the out-of-town owner. Williams promised to send 50% upfront (which never arrived) and even asked McSears to pay a $2,000 furniture bill on his behalf. Before starting the job, the crew confirmed the address with “Williams,” who assured them it was correct.
Authorities and the victims now believe the scammer targeted the obviously vacant home because the quick job was unlikely to draw immediate attention. The typical ploy, according to Batten, involves overpaying with a bad check and then requesting a refund before the original payment clears, leaving the contractor empty-handed.
After Batten and McSears connected and pieced together the fraud, McSears and his crew voluntarily repaved the driveway at no charge to make things right. Though the scam cost his company thousands, McSears says the main lesson is to be extremely cautious with clients you’ve never met in person, while Batten hopes the unusual case will serve as a warning to other realtors, homeowners, and rental property owners about this growing con.
