'It's really sad': People are being warned about online rental scam

A generic rent sign in front of a home. (Shutterstock)

A Winnipeg woman is sharing her story about a rental scam in hopes others won't have to deal with what she has gone through recently.

In June, Judy Smith said she was on the hunt for a new place to live as she couldn't afford the rent at her current home.

She posted on a Winnipeg rental group page on Facebook to see if anyone might have a place for her. That's when she received a private message from someone saying their cousin had a place that was for sale but they were going to take it off the market and put it up for rent and asked Smith for her email so she could contact the homeowners.

That's when she got an email from someone who said they had a three-bedroom house in Winnipeg available and all utilities were included. The person lived in Nanaimo, B.C., but said they owned the Winnipeg property.

"She sent me an application form to fill out. I filled it out, sent it back, then she asked for my job ID and job pay stubs. I sent that, then she sent me a lease agreement," said Smith. "After that, I sent her the damage deposit and she said she would send me the keys."

The person on the other end of the email said the keys wouldn't come until July 4, which meant Smith had to stay in a hotel for a couple of days.

She was given the tracking number for the keys in the mail, but couldn't find the information online.

"I couldn't locate the shipping company on Google, so I tried to message her and ask her what shipping company she was sending from and then she sent me the details on that. I still couldn't find it."

At that point, Smith said she went to the house and phoned the realtor for the property. After explaining what happened, the realtor said the individual she had been talking to did not own the home and she had been scammed.

Looking back, Smith said she never felt like she was being scammed, but noted she only communicated over email with the individual.

However, Smith is not alone, according to real estate agent Igor Melnyk, who has been told one of his listings was also being used in a potential scam.

While he isn't connected to what happened to Smith, he was called a few days ago by a woman who said someone had used his pictures to create a fake rental listing.

The woman he spoke with said they too were looking for a rental property, came across the fake ad on Facebook and started messaging the person who posted it.

They had asked to see the property but were told the property owners were on vacation and they would have to wait to see it.

While waiting, Melnyk said this woman filled out an application for the apartment and the sellers asked for a damage deposit.

They said they wouldn't transfer the money until they got to see the place. That is when they decided to go to the property themselves and they learned it was for sale and not rent.

Melnyk said this woman never lost any money, but he is concerned that this has happened.

"It's really sad, really sad, that we have such people (doing this)," said Melnyk.

He recommends people never send any money for a property until they have seen the home and met with the owner or property manager.

"Also ask for ID, ask for the title to verify that this is still the owner of the property.

"It's good that we talk about this and people be aware that this could happen. They will be careful."

He added this is an important message to share for all people looking to rent, but especially newcomers to the city and country who may not be aware of these kinds of scams.

As for Smith, she said she is frustrated about her current situation and is currently staying in a hotel until she can find a new place to rent. She says she has also filed a police report.

"It's hard to trust, it's hard for me. I've been looking online, but it's so hard for me to trust anybody because I don't know," said Smith. "I just want people to be aware it's not a good situation. Now it's harder for me to survive and find a house."