Sudbury man charged with fraud after people paid for landscaping that was never completed

Sudbury police officer. (File)

Sudbury — A 37-year-old man from Greater Sudbury is facing fraud charges after police received multiple complaints about paying for landscaping work that was not completed.

He was arrested Dec. 15 and charged with six counts of fraud under $5,000 in connection with incidents that took place last summer.

"Between May and September, the man accepted deposits from various community members for landscaping services on behalf of a local company," Greater Sudbury Police said in a news release Thursday.

"The deposits were accepted with the promise of the landscaping services being completed over the summer months. None of the jobs were completed and in the fall, the community members contacted us via our online reporting option, CopLogic, and via our non-emergency number."

Police said their investigation revealed the man didn’t actually work for the company and that he "had no intention of completing the promised services."

In court Feb. 12

The man will be in court Feb. 12 in Sudbury to answer to the charges. None of the charges have yet been proven.

"As a homeowner considering renovation or landscaping projects such as new windows, siding, shingles, driveway, patio, decks etc. ensure that you protect yourself and your property by doing your research prior to signing a contract or providing a down payment," police said.

"You can do so by entering a business name or an individual’s name into the search engine of your computer. You may also want to check the company's Facebook page (or other social media profiles such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)."

Before paying for home renovation products or services, police advise residents to:

If you recognize red flags of a potential scam, or have a gut feeling that something is wrong, reject the offer. Then report it.

For more information on how to protect yourself from frauds and scams, click here.