A Melton man was charged with 30 offences after he allegedly scammed 10 victims, including victims in Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, in fraud related incidents over the last two years.
According to Victoria Police, the 37-year-old Melton man allegedly used fake names on various apps and websites to advertise his availability as a handyman, including electrical, plumbing, gas and maintenance work.
Some of those incidents include:
• A man placed an advert on an app to get his new oven installed at a property in Tarneit in May 2023. The victim paid $690 upfront, but the man allegedly failed to turn up and ignored messages asking for a refund. He was arrested in October in relation to this incident, and later charged with two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
• A 50-year-old woman contacted the man to carry out work on her shower at a property in Tarneit. She paid him $1000 up front in August 2023, but he didn’t show up in October, continued to provide excuses and then allegedly blocked her number. He was arrested in March 2024 and later charged on summons but failed to appear before the court.
• The man responded to an advert for work to construct a wheelchair ramp at a property in Wyndham Vale in August 2024. The victim, a 52-year-old woman, paid a deposit of $500. He allegedly claimed he was building the ramp off-site and demanded further payments before the work was completed. The victim paid the remaining $500 and the accused allegedly failed to show up and complete the work.
• In March 2025, a 37-year-old man was quoted $300 for work to mount a projector on a wall at a property in Tarneit. The man allegedly started to drill holes in the wall, then left the work unfinished. When he returned to the property, he had a verbal altercation with the victim who refused to pay. Police were told he then stole the wall projector, valued at $1890.
He has been charged with including obtaining property by deception, wilful damage, theft, theft of a motor vehicle and failing to appear on bail.
