A scam involving overpriced pine straw has resurfaced in multiple Georgia cities, targeting older residents with deceptive lawn care offers that balloon into bills totaling thousands of dollars.
What We Know: The Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office issued a fresh warning about so-called “pine straw travelers” operating across Georgia. These scammers offer to lay pine straw for a low price—around $5 per bale—but then inflate the cost dramatically after the job is done. They often return with bale ties and claim hundreds of bales were used, charging unsuspecting residents exorbitant fees.
Victims have been reported in several locations in previous years. In Roswell, one elderly resident was charged $2,700. In Albany, the cost jumped to $5,000. Officials say this pattern has shown up in areas from metro Atlanta to Albany and is not isolated to any single region.
What We Don’t Know: It’s unclear how many people have fallen victim to this scam.
Take Action: Officials urge residents to be wary of unsolicited lawn service offers and to only hire workers from reputable sources. In most parts of Georgia, anyone soliciting door-to-door must have a permit and be able to show it upon request.
If you or someone you know suspects a scam, contact your local police department.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
