Police warn of spike in rental frauds in North Bay

Police in North Bay have received several reports of rental fraud recently and are providing tips to protect the public. (File)

Police in North Bay have received several reports of rental fraud recently and are providing tips to protect the public.

“Throughout the months of June and July 2024, the North Bay Police Service has received several reports of rental frauds,” police said in a news release Wednesday.

“All reported incidents are currently under investigation.”

Police said there are three main types of rental fraud:

- Phantom rentals, in which an ad is created to lure tenants to pay for renting a property that does not exist.

- Hijacked ads are when someone copies a legitimate ad and begins to collect money prior to tenants viewing the property.

- Already rented, in which a scammer collects first and last rent from multiple victims for a single property before the property is viewed.

“Scammers are adaptable and talented at changing their methods in order to defraud victims,” police said, but there are red flags to be aware of that can protect people from fraud.

For example, the supposed ‘landlord’ will not show you the property in person until money is paid (typically first and last month’s rent). They may claim they reside out of town and are unable to show you the property in person.

They may also provide a vague address or no address information at all, or provide blurry or duplicated photos with a blurry watermark.

Also, look for duplicate listings for the same property with different prices and be wary when anyone requests payment by an obscure method, such as a wire transfer or cryptocurrency.

Police are also urging the public to follow these tips to help protect yourself against rental fraud:

• Never send money before seeing the rental property and signing a lease agreement.

• Never rent sight unseen. Even if you reside out of town, making the trip to view the property is likely cheaper than being defrauded of first and last month’s rent.

• Be wary of landlords who request little information from you and never deal in cash.

• Insist on a lease agreement. Ask the landlord to show picture identification as proof they are the person named in the document. While it is not a requirement that they produce identification, the renter should be suspicious if they refuse.

• Be wary of rental rates that are below market value or seem too good to be true. Remember: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Always meet the landlord in person and obtain a receipt for any money paid.

• Deal with a reputable property management company.

• Do basic research through open-source queries, such as Google.

• Students can use resources offered by their educational institution to help find housing.

“Do not feel ashamed if you have been victimized by a scammer,” police said.

“Scammers are very talented at using new technology and methods to defraud victims. If you have been victimized by a scammer, report the incident to police.”

To report a fraud or provide information about an ongoing fraud investigation, contact police at 705-497-5555 and press ‘5’ to speak with an officer. You can also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report fraud online.

To remain anonymous, contact Near North Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online.