A Winnipeg landlord is warning others about an online scam that used photos of her home, listed it for rent and asked potential renters for money.
Dianne Wright is getting ready for her new tenants to move into her home in Southwest Winnipeg. But even after she took down herKijiji ad, she was still receiving phone calls from potential renters.
That’s because someone posted her home on Craigslist for about half the price of what she offered.
“You got people who are looking for a really good deal, and you have people who are going to prey on them," Wright said.
While Wright advertised her home for $1,750 a month, the fake ad offered $950.
One of the people who almost fell victim to the scam was Joanne Jaeger. She responded to the ad on Craigslist and was told by someone calling themselves “Daniel” that she would need to send a damage deposit of $400. Afterwards, he would send her the keys to the home.
That’s when she became suspicious and contacted Wright, who told her the advertisement was fake.
“Although I was aware of it, I know that there are some people out there that might be taken by it,” Jaeger said.
Jaeger posted a scammer alert on Craigslist, but as of Tuesday morning the fake ad hasn’t been taken down.
For Wright, this explained why people had been coming to her door asking about an ad that didn’t exist. She reported the scam to RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service, but was told that since no one had reported being defrauded there was nothing they could do. RCMP told CTV Winnipeg that most of these crimes go unreported.
That’s why Wright warns potential renters and landlords to be vigilant when looking for homes online. She always meets with future tenants before renting a home, and said no Winnipeg landlord would ask for someone to send them money in exchange for keys.
“It’s buyer beware, it’s also landlord beware,” Wright said. “If it looks too good to be true or sounds good to be true, it probably is.”
With a report from CTV Winnipeg's Josh Crabb
