Montreal man pleads guilty after making victims sign fraudulent leases

Van Lanh Vuong, as shown in this police handout image, pleaded guilty on Monday July 20, 2026 to a complex housing fraud scheme in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-SPVM (Mandatory Credit)

MONTREAL — A man has pleaded guilty to a complex housing fraud scheme that left some victims homeless in Montreal.

Van Lanh Vuong, 45, admitted to collecting $37,460 from 24 victims while pretending to be a landlord in Montreal between April 17, 2024 and July 11, 2024.

Vuong's case is expected to return to Quebec court on Oct. 21 for sentencing arguments.

Isaac Nyembo was one of the victims who shared his story during the trial.

In his victim impact statement, Nyembo said he slept outside a cinema after being scammed and spent a month at a homeless shelter.

According to court documents, Vuong contacted his victims online under a fake name to offer them an apartment at a reasonable price.

He would give them a tour of apartments he was either renting or had broken into, have them sign a lease and ask for a deposit equivalent to a month or two of rent.

The court heard that he had rented three of the apartments, showed one of the complainants a neighbour's apartment, and allegedly broke into a fifth address.

The victims didn't know they were scammed until moving day, or Vuong would become unreachable when it came time to hand them the keys.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.

Erika Morris, The Canadian Press