The Champion Township Police Department is now warning the public of a type of scam they're calling "paving scams."

According to a Facebook Post from Champion PD, a "paving scam" is when a scammer scams a victim out of money for work to be done that never ends up being completed or done very poorly for a lump sum of money up front.

The department is offering residents plenty of tips on how to avoid being the victim of one of these scams. These tips can be found below.

- Always get more than one estimate on a project

- Check with local references

- Never give a contractor any money up front

- Often times the quality of the work is sub par including materials

- Be aware of anyone offering deep discounts or rushing you into a contract

- Never accept a "now-or-never" contract

- Be aware of non-local companies including those from out of state

- Always check for the contact information for the company and how you will have warranty work done

If you believe you are a victim to any scam, you should contact your local police department.