Ontario: Harsh Patel, an international student at Conestoga College, discovered his Kitchener, Ont. apartment was a scam when he arrived on move-in day to find over a dozen others in the same situation.
They had all been misled by a Facebook Marketplace listing for an apartment that was never available. Some had paid up to $4,000 in rent and fees.
The listing was a fraud, and the supposed landlord has since been unresponsive. The building management confirmed the listing was not legitimate.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reports a rise in rental scams, with 715 cases reported in 2023 alone. They advise verifying properties, avoiding verbal agreements, and using secure payment methods to prevent fraud.
Waterloo Regional Police are investigating the scam, and Patel is now staying in a short-term rental while searching for a permanent solution.