Ontario's public safety regulator is warning about a new scam — phony contractors disguised as officials to gain access to people's homes with the intent to sell water heaters and furnaces.

A Markham-based company has already been issued a cease and desist order to halt their illegal activity and similar incidents have been reported in Ottawa.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority logo. Officials from the agency will only visit your home if there's been an injury or death related to a faulty furnace or water heater. (CBC)

Posing as safety inspectors and using the Technical Standards and Safety Authority logo, to date six phony inspection calls have occured in the capital so the TSSA is warning residents to beware.

Guy Castagne is an inspector for the TSSA and says that the agency would only visit a home or business where an injury or death has occurred related to a water heater or furnace.

"TSSA inspectors do not go door-to-door," said Castagne. "We don't sell furnaces and water heaters, we don't sell services. that's not what we do."

Scam hurts legitimate businesses, contractor says

In addition to investigating accidents the TSSA regulates contractors, and anyone who works with furnaces, water heaters and boilers must be licensed by the agency.

But for Derek DiNuzzo, a contractor with Direct Energy, news of bogus safety inspections with the motive of flogging water heater and furnace contracts hurts legitimate businesses.

"There are a lot of contractors out there who abide by the rules who are certified," he said. "Now it's putting us in a bad limelight and people don't trust contractors."

However, both DiNuzzo and Castagne don't want their warnings to deter homeowners from having their furnace inspected annually. To ensure the company is certified, customers can simply call the TSSA.

"Fuel fired equipment if it's not installed properly can easily create a carbon monoxide incident or fire. Which can lead to serious injury or death," said Castagne.