Concrete companies in Alabama are falling victim to a scam that started popping up late last year.

The Alabama Concrete Industries Association has requested the assistance of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to investigate a concrete purchase scam, where amounts are exceeding $200,000.

Association President John S. Sorrell said the fraud was reported in Tennessee a few years ago, but has been reported this year in Birmingham, Dothan, Anniston, Tuscaloosa and Guntersville.

“It’s starting to crop up everywhere,” he said.

According to the association, concrete companies are being targeted by “an unknown source” who is purchasing concrete using stolen credit cards and fake identification cards.

“This unknown source advertises concrete at a much lower price than reputable concrete companies can offer,” the association announced.

Homeowners who answer the ad place the order with the unknown source, which then orders the concrete from a reputable concrete company. The source pays for the concrete, using a stolen credit card and a false ID, such as an altered driver license, to match the credit card owner.

Once the concrete is delivered, poured, and finished, the homeowner pays the unknown source cash for the concrete.

Eventually, the victim of the stolen credit card receives notification of the purchase charge and reports the unauthorized purchase. Then the credit card company demands restitution from the concrete company.