OPP warns homeowners may not be the only victims of fraudulent contractors

An OPP cruiser is pictured in this undated photo. (Source: OPP Central Region)

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) renews its warnings about fraudulent paving contractors in the region, noting that homeowners may not be the only victims.

This comes after police were called to several reports of paving scams, where fake contractors go door-to-door asking for jobs with a solid persistence that persuades victims to pay for unfinished jobs in eastern Ontario over the past few years, police said in a news release.

“One rarely recognized aspect of these disreputable companies is human trafficking,” police said.

“Some of these companies have been found to be exploiting vulnerable worker populations such as unauthorized migrant labourers.”

Police say vulnerable workers may be poorly paid and treated badly while being “afraid to speak up due to fear of reprisals.”

The OPP shares some tips to avoid falling victims to scammers:

• Be cautious when opening the door and accepting services from strangers.
• Make sure flashy flyers and websites are owned by real companies.
• Always sign a contract before agreeing to allow any contractor to start a job to avoid unforeseen problems.
• If you are a vulnerable resident, be careful as some scammers target seniors and request payments for “today only jobs.”
• When a payment is requested upfront or before the job is completed, you might be falling a victim.
• Be careful with too-good-to-be-true deals, as they might be fake.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of a fraud is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.