Two men alleged to have been operating a so-called Irish roof scam to trick vulnerable people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars have been arrested in Melbourne's East.
It is alleged the men, aged 28 and 29, used the money from the fake tradie scam to buy Rolex watches and designer clothes.
Police allege the Irish nationals are "travelling conmen" and say one victim alone in Melbourne's eastern suburbs lost $260,000.
The men were arrested on Thursday after Victoria Police detectives and Australian Border Force officers executed a series of warrants Police executed warrants in Heidelberg West as part of Operation Gentium.
A 28-year-old man from Hadfield was arrested and charged with ten counts of obtain property by deception. A 29-year-old man from Heidelberg West was charged with six offences against the migration act.
The two men were remanded in custody and are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.
Acting Inspector Scott Dwyer said Victoria Police takes these reports very seriously.
"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" said A/Insp Dwyer.
"These strong relationships allow us to apprehend people even when they are outside Victoria.
"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.
"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.
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