Ottawa police are issuing a warning about a roofing scam targeting seniors after two incidents in Kanata where suspects impersonating a police officer and a judge approached the victims for roofing work. The Ottawa Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police issued the warning on Friday after receiving two reports about a fraud scheme to defraud people out of significant sums of money in Ottawa’s west end. Police say in the two incidents, the suspects “falsely identified themselves as an Ontario Provincial Police officer and a judge while engaging with victims regarding roofing work.” “Through these misrepresentations, victims have been convinced to provide tens of thousands of dollars for services that were either misrepresented or not delivered as promised,” police said. Anyone who believes they may have been approached by individuals involved in the scheme is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service. Police are also providing the following tips to avoid a potential scam: Police say if someone claims to be a police officer, government officials or a judge and requests money or personal information, you should independently verify their identity by contacting the organization through publicly listed phone numbers.
