Man charged in furnace maintenance scam in Stratford

(CTV News file image)

A man from Bolton has been charged as part of an investigation into a furnace maintenance scam in Stratford.

On Thursday, the Stratford Police Service were told a suspicious man had posed as a Bick Heating & Cooling employee to get inside a Stratford home.

Police were told the man had talked to the residents of the home over the phone the previous night and set up a furnace maintenance visit.

However, once the man arrived and was let into the home, the homeowner’s daughter called Bick Heating & Cooling, who told her that he was not one of their employees. The man was asked to leave the home immediately.

The suspect was described as a Black man with short black hair and a black beard. At the time, he wore a dark blue shirt and blue jeans. He arrived at the home in a rented grey Nissan Sentra with the licence plate CZEF163.

Police identified the suspect as a 39-year-old Bolton man and reached out to him. He was later arrested at the Stratford Police Headquarters and charged with unlawfully being in a dwelling.

Anyone who had a similar experience is urged to contact the police.