They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but for one Oklahoma homeowner, it may actually be a dish best served ironically. Dylan Teachman told KOCO 5 News how he had been scammed by a contractor who was supposed to build a storm shelter for Teachman and his family, which included his new baby.
However, after Colton Marek of CM Concrete Construction came out in April to talk about the project and take a $9,300 payment, Teachman says things started to go awry. First, Marek only came to the property once to dig up the ground before disappearing and never coming back.
So, Teachman decided to scam the scammer, calling Marek to tell him he’d like to widen the scope of the project by adding some additional concrete to his patio. When Marek came back out to the house to meet with the homeowner and go over the details, Grady County Sheriff’s Department deputies were waiting to take him into custody.
The bait and switch may work out for more than just Teachman, as KOCO 5 News says that other homeowners have filed similar accounts against the contractor.
Teachman Paid Marek Cash When He Accepted the Job
According to the interview the new father gave to KOCO 5 News, he handed over several thousand dollars in cash at their first meeting. “We have a baby now that’s 9 months old, and we want to keep him safe and not have to run from storms anymore, and we even told him that,” Teachman recalled.
After taking the money, Marek only came out one time, and then made up excuses each time Teachman tried to get him to get back to work.
“After not showing up for a few weeks, I called him again, and he answered. I told him I wanted to add some concrete to my patio,” Teachman explained, saying that the contractor took the bait and came back over the following Thursday, when sheriff’s deputies were waiting.
Marek is Accused of Scamming Other Homeowners
Teachman isn’t the only one who says he was taken for a ride. According to KOCO 5 News, a woman from Blanchard also hired and paid Marek for work that was never done to the tune of $8,500. She told officers that she’s been waiting for him to start on her project since January 2026.
Yet another homeowner lost $3,500 after Marek allegedly told them that he needed to be paid upfront before he would purchase materials for the job, but neither the materials nor Marek ever materialized.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon scheme, even if the resolution feels kind of rare. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), one of the red flags they advise people to keep on the lookout for includes being asked for a cash payment before beginning work. The website notes that you can avoid falling into this trap by asking for a signed contract upfront.
Additionally, NAHB says that you should try to avoid giving cash to a salesperson, and instead give a check or money order to the company that is actually doing the work.
Of course, sometimes even that isn’t enough to protect you, so it’s important to do your due diligence and research any contractors you’re going to hire before getting started. Hopefully, Teachman and the other folks that Marek scammed may be able to recoup some of their losses now that a suspect has been caught.