Roofing Fraud investigations, Man and woman wanted

Roofing Fraud investigations, Man and woman wanted

Thursday, August 24, 2017 - 6:02 AM
55 Division:  416-808-5500

The Toronto Police Service would like to make the public aware of several Fraud investigations in 54 Division. 

It is reported that: 

- on Sunday, March 19, 2017, a resident of Cedarcrest Boulevard reported that a man knocked on his door and told him he was a roofer

- the man advised that one of the resident's roof vents was damaged and that he would repair it

- the resident paid $40 to complete the repair, however, no repair was done and the man left the area

The man was described as white, mid-40s, wearing khaki pants, dark jacket, baseball cap. 

It is further reported that:

- on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, a resident of Sibley Avenue reported that a man and woman knocked on her door

- the man advised her he was a roofer and that one of her roof vents was damaged 

- the man advised that he would repair it for $250

- the resident feared this was a scam and did not hand over any money 

- both the man and woman left the area

The man was described as white, 25-30. The woman was described as white, 25-30.

It is further reported that:

- on Saturday, July 8, 2017, a resident of Sibley Avenue reported that a man and woman knocked on her door

- the man advised he was a roofer and that a vent cap on her roof needed repair

- the woman paid the man $350 in cash to complete the repair

- after the repair was completed, the man told the woman that he overcharged her by $150 and wanted to refund her money

- the man produced a debit machine and the woman inserted her bank card into the machine

- once the woman entered her PIN in the debit machine, the man and woman ran off with the woman's debit card

- the woman was later advised that $800 was withdrawn from her account

The man and woman were described as white.

It is further reported that:

- on Monday, August 21, 2017 a resident of Meighan Avenue reported that a man and woman knocked on her door 

- the man advised her he was a roofer and that a vent cap on her roof needed repair

- the man asked for $300 in cash to complete the repair. After negotiation, the woman agreed to pay $50

- the man took the money and promised to return to complete the repair, but did not return.

The man and woman were described as white and were driving a white scooter. 

It is further reported that:
- on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, a resident of Coleman Avenue reported that a man and woman knocked on her door

- the man advised he was a roofer and that a vent cap on her roof needed repair

- the woman, having heard about this scam from her neighbours, told the man and woman to leave her property and called police

The man was described as white with black hair. The woman was described as white with black hair in a bun. 

The Toronto Police Service urges homeowners to exercise caution when dealing with contractors who solicit business door to door in neighbourhoods. The public is reminded that, in commercial transactions, they should always verify the identity of a person or business before deciding to trust that person or business. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

Constable Jenifferjit Sidhu, Corporate Communications, for Detective Sergeant Jim Gotell, 55 Division