Four men wanted for roofing fraud and property damage in Rosedale

Toronto police are searching for four men wanted in connection with a roofing fraud and mischief investigation in Rosedale after a home was damaged when the owner refused to pay for unsolicited repairs.

Between August 10 and August 17, a suspect attended a home in the area of Mount Pleasant Road and Elm Avenue claiming to be a "fraud investigator" for roofing scams in the neighbourhood. He told the homeowner that repairs would be free and they would receive reimbursement for being a victim of a scam. The suspect returned accompanied by another man and changed the offer, saying repairs would not be free but a reimbursement would follow payment. The homeowner declined.

In retaliation, the original suspect and three others attended the home without the owner's knowledge and damaged the roof and fence between August 20 and August 24.

Police describe the suspects as: a large-build man, clean shaven, wearing a grey baseball cap with light-coloured brim, white polo shirt, dark blue shorts and grey shoes; a medium-build man, clean shaven with medium-length black hair, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black shoes with white soles; a medium-build man with a brown short side beard, wearing a blue baseball cap with unknown logo, blue-and-white plaid long-sleeved shirt and blue shorts; and a slim-build man, clean shaven, wearing a grey baseball cap, sunglasses, dark blue polo shirt and light blue shorts.

Toronto police are reminding residents to be wary of unsolicited contractors using pressure tactics or demanding advance payment. The service advises residents to avoid impulse decisions to hire contractors and to select a reputable company with a detailed written contract. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police. As HighOnCity reported in July, roofing scammers have been working Toronto neighbourhoods aggressively.