Con artists victimized neighborhood across the country by making huge payoff using a small amount of spray paint at the expense of the homeowner.

The con artist tells the homeowner that they work for the city and practicing the new ordinance that obliges the homeowner to paint a number on the house curb.  To do the job the scammer will ask the homeowner for money.  Once the money is handed over, they spray the number on the curb and leave before they become suspicious. This is how simple the scam works.

Scammers often paint the curb without homeowner’s permission; as a result, the homeowner is forced to pay because the work was already done. If homeowner starts an argument, the scammers would tell them that this will help emergency services to find their house.

A spokesperson from Iowa city  Des Moines told KCRG News:

“The numbers could be blocked by a parked vehicle or snow in the winter; under these circumstances, the painted address would not be an effective means in which emergency responders could find a location in the City.”

Reports have been received by the police from all over the country but California, Kentucky, Ohio and other states have been hit by the scam.

Some scammers paint the curb with the house number and ask the homeowner for donation as a payment. The minute of paint usually cost $15 to $20 but there are willing to get as little as a $1 if that is all the homeowner can give.

The scam has had several variations of the year. In 2015, a man collecting money using the curb painting story, but did not paint the curbs was reported by a group of New Jersey residents.

The man hurriedly returned and did the painting job after being reported. But that doesn’t help him out of trouble.

Michael Loren Carson from Palm Beach, California was the man behind this curb scam.

In 2006 he was arrested for the scam. He charged the victims $15 and ask them to make checks out to “CAS”, which according to him stood for “Curb Address Service.” The “H” will later be added, spelling out “cash”.

If anyone tried to paint your curb, you should call the police or local city before handing any money.

Article Sources: The Shred/Facebook, American Web Media Video Credit:  News5 Cleveland/Youtube