When Carlha Perez and her husband found what seemed like the perfect apartment for their move to Metro Vancouver, they had no idea they had fallen victim to a rental scam.
The result was the Calgary-based couple losing $5,400, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) who is warning the public against these types of scams.
“This is a really unfortunate situation where the red flags were very well hidden, but in plain sight,” says spokesperson Aaron Guillen in a press release.
Following the couple’s decision to move to Metro Vancouver, they started looking for the perfect apartment. In August 2022, they found one in downtown Vancouver that was listed as owned and operated by the property manager, according to Guillen.
“Although Perez was worried about not seeing the property in-person, she was reassured after completing a quick search to confirm that the apartment photos belonged to the correct residential building,” said the release.
Perez was later assured after talking on the phone with the property manager, who even offered to pick up the couple at the airport. The couple signed a contract and provided one month’s rent, a security deposit and a pet deposit for their dog. Altogether, they sent an e-transfer totalling $5,400.
In the days leading up the move Perez was not able to get in contact with the property manager, despite multiple attempts. That's when the couple realized they had been scammed, said Guillen.
The latest in a streak of rental scams
Warnings of rental scams have been popping up across B.C. in recent years.
In July, Surrey RCMP cautioned residents of Facebook rental scams, with one officer citing similar cases in Kelowna, B.C. Rental scams are listed among the top 10 riskiest scams in Canada, according to the BBB’s 2022 Canadian Risk Report.
While only 1.1 per cent of the volume of reports to the BBB account for rental scams, 42.9 per cent of those who are exposed become a victim. The report suggests that the median income lost to these types of scams is $1,600.
The case of the newly arrived Calgary couple offers a case in how to spot a potential rental scam.
“Not only were the apartment photos most likely taken from a real estate website from years before, but the GST number on the signed contract did not match an actual business and the e-transfer email address wasn’t a professional business account, but a personal one,” said Guillen in a statement.
“With such high demand for housing in and around Metro Vancouver, it’s heartbreaking to watch prospective renters become more desperate and fall for similar scams.”
The BBB recommends that individuals looking to rent a place see the property in person or send someone they trust. In addition, they caution against sending a cash transfer right away.
The organization suggests searching for similar properties online and confirming a property manager or real estate agent's GST number on the Government of Canada website.
If an individual has fallen victim to a rental scam the BBB suggest reporting the experience to local police, the BBB scam tracker or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
