Natrona County Sheriff Mark Benton is warning residents to watch out for an out-of-state group that uses home repair scams to bilk residents.

Authorities believe members of the group may be in the community after a Casper Mountain resident said a man he had hired for an asphalt job lied to him about the project they had agreed to complete.

The group, sometimes known as Travelers, operate paving and roofing schemes, Benton said. For example, they might claim to have recently finished a paving project, and then make an unsolicited offer to a homeowner to use the leftover asphalt to fix an old driveway. However, the work will be shoddy and once it's completed, they will demand more money than originally agreed upon.

With the roofing scheme, they might only paint the roof silver and then inflate their rate.

Benton suggested residents should ask workers for local references and be suspicious if someone offers to do unsolicited work at a unusually low price. The group's equipment - including dump trucks - will be cleaner than it should be, he added.

The group, which comes from the southeastern part of the country, often targets elderly residents. Anyone who is propositioned by the group should contact law enforcement immediately, Benton said.

In June, Casper police warned of similar home repair scams occurring in the area.