With spring almost here, the driveway paver scammers are hitting North Carolina.

The Wayne County Sheriff's Department is investigating several recent reports about paving scammers operating in that county.

The Southern Pines Police Department is taking a proactive approach, issuing a press release in an effort to make the local community aware of the scam, and not just pavers, but scam offers regarding home improvement, roof repair and other construction. The scammers mainly target elderly residents.

Offer might be a bit of a nicety to describe the situation, as the scammers can be pushy, sometimes beginning jobs before a homeowner has a chance to say no and then intimidating the resident into making payment.

The Southern Pines Police Department points out in the release that any business operating in the town of Southern Pines must first obtain a town business license, and that there are additional regulations for "itinerant merchants." The release said that asking for a business license is a good way to check for scammers. If they don't have one, the release said contact the police department.

The police department says to find out more about scams or other public safety topic, call the department's community services coordinator at (910) 692-2732.