Two Irishmen arrested in Melbourne over an “Irish roof scam” spent the cash on high-end Rolex watches and designer clothing, police have alleged.
The pair were arrested as part of Operation Gentium, an investigation into travelling con men who are operating ‘Irish roof scams’ in Melbourne.
It is alleged the two Irish nationals illegally obtained AUD$260,000 (€162,000) from one of their victims.
A police statement alleges the funds were used to purchase luxury Rolex watches and expensive designer clothes.
Watch: Irishmen arrested for allegedly targeting pensioners in roof fixing scam in Australia
One of the men, aged 28, was arrested and charged with ten counts of obtaining property by deception.
The second man, 29, was charged with six offences against the Migration act.
The pair were arrested after a series of raids was carried out by the Eastern Region Crime Squad, with assistance from the Australian Border Force across Melbourne on Thursday.
Both men have appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court and will re-appear at later dates.
Acting Inspector Scott Dwyer said the alleged scam targets the most vulnerable members of society with pensioners often the victims.
Irish Neil Diamond tribute singer to bring award-winning live show to Dublin
He said: “This investigation demonstrates the lengths police will go to find the people involved in these types of crimes and the partnerships that we have with other law enforcement agencies.
“These strong relationships allow us to apprehend people even when they are outside Victoria.”
He urged people to make sure tradesmen are legitimate before engaging them for work.
He said: “We know that travelling con men predominantly doorknock or letter-drop homes and businesses offering to do maintenance and repair work, such as asphalting, roof cleaning / tiling, painting or tree lopping.
“If you want work done on your property, we ask that you don't just use a flyer to make a decision, make sure you shop around for more than one written quote.
“These types of deception offences can have a significant impact on people’s lives and are often targeted at more vulnerable members of our community. We don’t want to see anyone else fall victim to travelling con men.
Fundraiser set up to bring home tragic young Irish woman killed in Australia car crash
“We strongly encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of travelling con men or fake tradies to report it to their local police as soon as possible.“
Investigators believe a number of people may have been affected by the alleged scams and further enquiries are still being made by police.
In March, police were forced to issue a warning about a group of conmen with Irish accents who said they were from a business called First Choice Home Solutions, which was a fake company.
