She was contacted by a cop about a home reno scam. He wasn’t real — and this Toronto woman lost $200,000, police say - Toronto Star

In another twist, a man also posing as a judge was involved in duping the woman in her 60s, police alleged. 

Toronto police are warning of a home renovation scam involving men posing as a detective and judge. 

An Etobicoke woman in her 60s was scammed out of more than $200,000 by men posing as a Toronto police detective and judge in an elaborate home renovation scam, investigators say. 

Police are now searching for multiple suspects involved in both the contractor fraud and impersonation scam — and warn there may be more victims. 

According to Toronto police, who launched the investigation on Oct. 5, a homeowner hired a pair of contractors to do renovations on her house in the area of Lakeshore Boulevard West and Royal York Road. As they were working, police allege the contractors overstated the amount of work that would need to be done, resulting in higher prices and “significant financial loss” for the woman. 

Shortly after, a man reached out to the woman claiming to be a Toronto police detective named “Philip Spring,”  who advised her that the contractors hired for the renovations were under investigation for fraud, police wrote in a Tuesday news release. 

This was part of the ruse though, according to police, who said that “Philip Spring” isn’t employed by the service. 

In another twist, police say a second man contacted the woman impersonating a judge who went by the name “Stephen Firestone.” He told her that she needed to pay a large amount of money in order for the investigation to proceed and that the courts would later reimburse her, police wrote. 

Toronto police have released this image of a suspect they allege was posing as a detective. 

The woman then sent several bank drafts to the scammers, totalling more than $200,000, police said. 

Investigators are looking for multiple suspects wanted for fraud over $5,000 and impersonating a police officer.

The first contractor is described as a man in his 40s, five-foot-nine to five-foot-ten with short brown and grey hair. The second is described as a six-foot-tall 27-year-old man, with a medium build, short blond hair and a bandage on his hand. 

They drove a black pickup as well as a rusty blue pickup truck, police said. 

The man impersonating a police officer is described as being in his 30s, five-foot-eight to five-foot-nine, with short dark reddish and brown hair, and a red and brown beard.

All the suspects, including the man posing as a judge, spoke with British, Irish or Scottish accents, police noted. 

Jake Ross is a staff reporter with the Star. Reach him via email: jross@thestar.ca