Rented online

Quebecs condemn dishonest fraudsters who use the housing crisis to steal money from vulnerable tenants who are eager to find the roof before the 1st.^Er July.

Read more: Housing shortage: Another 110,000 homes in need and urgent

“I was depressed to find a place for 6 months. I took the bait. Half of the ads I see on Facebook Marketplace now are fraudulent. This is horrible, “said Robin LeFrancois angrily.

This Laval resident thought he found the rare pearl on an online advertising site. An Ontario woman named Angela Maynard offered him a place to go with his cats next to his mother.

Disappeared with the deposit

The only problem was that the woman asked for a $ 900 deposit to confirm that she was going to present herself during a home visit in Laval.

“We were talking on Facebook. They are real people who write. I sent the money without giving a secret reply to the interrogation. They were able to charge $ 900 without an answer. Fraud is well organized, ”warns Mr. Lefrancois.

He says there are only two more weeks to find shelter before July 1st.

Newspaper Mr. from all over Quebec. Easily found a dozen tenants like Lefrancois, who fell victim to scams this month.

Blind woman

This is also the case with Jennifer LaForge, a single mother of three young children in Pius. He is looking for a suitable home for his six-year-old daughter, who is visually impaired and suffers from Mobius syndrome, especially characterized by facial paralysis.

“The rental house is very suitable for us and is located in Pius. The landlord told me that he lives in Montreal and asked for $ 1,200 for the first month’s rent.^Me Forge.

So, the mother agreed to transfer the deposit to him. Later, she realized that the house was not for rent and had been sold by a real estate agent. This announcement on the Facebook Marketplace is false. Jennifer LaForge then realized that $ 1,200 had been stolen from her.

“The police and the bank say they can do nothing. I was depressed. This is annoying because it’s money you will never see again. I am a single parent. Inflation and even the price of gas, are the high cost of everything. I do not need it. My dream of owning this house was shattered, ”he laments.

Fraud for 10 years

Stéphanie Séguin lost $ 800. The swindler used the same scheme with her.

“I tried to confront him, but they said, ‘Good luck finding me. I’m been doing this for 10 years.’ […] When I realized I had been deceived, I burst into tears. This is all my savings. Then there was an opportunity for my family to help me, ”explains Ms.^Me Sequin, mother of a 10-year-old girl.

According to the administration of the tribunal, a homeowner can not claim more than one monthly rent or claim an additional amount as a security deposit, for example, to ensure the delivery of keys.

Tenant fraud schemes

• The lessee is abroad at the time of rent. He therefore requests that an amount be paid to him as a security deposit through an electronic money transfer.
• The landlord, who does not want to go anywhere, requests a deposit by electronic transfer before showing the premises.
• On average, fraudsters demand one or two months’ rent from their victims as a deposit. $ 500 to $ 1200Depending on the apartments.
• Whatever the excuse given, an amount will always be required.

Source: Montreal Police Department City

How to detect fraud?

• The address of a rental unit should be mentioned in the advertisement.
• If you search the internet for the address of the rental hostel, you can find out if the internet users have been scammed.
• Enter the address of the building in Google Maps and compare some architectural elements.
• A landlord should be contacted by phone, not just email.
• Visit the apartment before signing the lease.
• If a offer is too good to be true, it can be a scam.