SAN DIEGO — A man in Torrey Highlands is out $2500 after falling victim to a landscaping scam.
It’s a scam CBS 8 has covered before, where supposed landscapers show up at homes unannounced offering to put mulch in yards for $10 a bag.
When they’re done, they demand thousands of dollars.
"They wanted around $10 per bag of mulch. And usually, you know, looking at my front yard, I figured they’d probably only use about 50 bags of mulch, and so I agreed to the work," said Alex Sun.
Sun asked for an estimate beforehand but was told that wasn't possible. Two hours later, he received a bill for $5,000, the equivalent of 500 bags of mulch.
“After looking at the Ring camera, the bags that they use are essentially half empty. They had burlap sacks filled with a few shovel fulls of mulch," said Sun.
Sun questioned both their work, and the price, but says the men refused to leave. He felt threatened, so he called San Diego Police. Officers showed up, but said their hands were tied. Alex ended up giving the supposed landscapers $2500.
“The police said it was a civil matter from their perspective, and that me and the scamster should come to arrangement or some kind of understanding of a deal, so I kind of felt obligated to pay them some amount. You know, I was really afraid that if I didn't pay them enough, they would come back and, you know, hurt me or my family later on," said Sun.
Sun says price aside, it was a botched job. He pointed out plants and parts of his irrigation system that were destroyed. He also shared a video of the mess they left behind.
Following the ordeal, Sun discovered a similar story CBS 8 reported involving a 79-year-old Poway man. In that case, he was charged $15,000.
CBS 8 called the Los Angeles-based number on the card he was given, but it didn't work.
We also searched for Danilo Martinez Landscaping, the company in question on Yelp, and came across one-star reviews, calling the company a scam. People all over San Diego have posted on Nextdoor, saying they've been approached too.
Sun is speaking out in hopes it doesn't happen to someone else.
“It's not a common scam, but I think we need to be aware of it so other people don't fall victim.”
CBS 8 reached out to SDPD asking why there's no legal recourse but did not receive a response.
The District Attorney's office warns if you're doing a home project, use extra caution when hiring people you don't know, always check references, and get multiple estimates.
WATCH RELATED: Senior citizen loses $15,000 to alleged landscaping scam in San Diego