Three Toronto men have been arrested and charged after a North York senior was defrauded in an alleged renovation scam.
According to the Toronto Police, a 75-year-old woman hired a contractor to do renovations at her home at Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. The contractor defrauded the woman over $1M.
Further investigation revealed that from February 2011 to October 2022, another 14 victims in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) had been defrauded over $400K in the same manner. Five of these victims were also elderly, according to Toronto Police.
On Monday, November 14, 2022, three Toronto men -- Antonio Sinopoli, 54, Wayne McNeil, 45, and Francesco Sinopoli, 27 -- were arrested by members of the Financial Crimes Unit. Antonio is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of possession of proceeds of crime, and one count of laundering proceeds of crime. McNeil is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, while Francesco is charged with one count of fraud of $5,000.
All three men are due in court on Friday, December 16, 2022 at 1000 Finch Avenue West.
In the meantime, police believe there may be more victims. They say the scamming contractor operated under the following company names in the GTA area: In Time For Finishing Touches, Scala Exteriors, AFS Contracting and Design, and Upper Level Renovations.
“Police do believe there may be more victims and are asking if anyone was a victim of this construction scam, where they took your money and did not complete the job they were hired and paid to do, please contact police,” Constable Laura Brabant, Toronto Police Services' media relations officer tells STOREYS. “If you are considering doing a home renovation, research your prospective contractor. Ask for references, contact the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and do not give money up front for work that has not been done.”
Anyone with information about the renovation scam is asked to contact police at 416-808-7318, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.
