Police arrest two men from the United Kingdom in paving scam

Two men from the United Kingdom have been charged in a driveway paving scam that spanned across Ontario.

The investigation was helmed by the Ontario Provincial Police’s Crimes and Corruption Unit, with help from the police’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, Integrated Fraud Awareness and Response Initiative and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Police arrested a 30-year-old and charged him with fraud under $5,000 and three counts of fraud over $5,000.

A 28-year-old was also charged with fraud over $5,000.

In June of this year, the Guelph Police Service investigated a similar scam involving door-to-door pavers.

Residents said they paid thousands of dollars to have their driveways redone, but when the workers packed up, they left behind mounds of rubble and several unhappy customers.

Guelph Police said the homeowners were “mislead into believing the men were representing the City of Guelph or an approved city contractor.”

Residents told officers the door-to-door salespeople had strong Scottish or Irish accents, while one might have been from Newfoundland.

Ontario Provincial Police did not confirm if the arrests were related to the Guelph incidents.