Fraud - Apartment rental

There are various scenarios used by the scammers, but the following are the most common ones:

• A landlord needs to rent his apartment quickly at a good price not to lose any money. Because he is abroad at the time of the rental, he asks that a security deposit be sent to him via e-transfer.
• The landlord does not want to waste his time and asks for an e-transfer deposit before the visit of the premises.
• Scammers are soliciting people through social media to work from home to post rental housing ads on online sales platforms. Once a tenant contacts the advertiser, the advertiser redirects them to the false landlord’s email. The false landlord then asks to continue the process via a messaging application. To avoid unnecessary travel to visit the housing unit, the false landlord claims proof of purchase by photos of prepaid electronic coupons. Then, the false landlord sends an Internet link to the tenant to secure the funds. However, the link, in which the tenant enters the coupon PIN, is a trap. The funds are immediately withdrawn and the false landlord no longer responds to the tenant’s messages. Note that during this process, the tenant provides personal information and some have also had their accounts hacked.

No matter the pretence, money is always requested. On average, the scammers required that their victims provide one or two months' rent as a deposit, ranging from $500 to $1,200 depending on the apartment.

When they agree to pay the requested sum, tenants could be facing a potential scam. Be vigilant:

• E-transfers can now be deposited without giving the answer to the security question using the “automatic deposit” function.
• A trap link will allow a scammer to empty the funds of electronic coupons.

Although well-meaning owners may ask for a security deposit that is reimbursable on signing the lease, the Régie du logement is very clear on this matter: “A landlord cannot ask for a deposit, whether it is for the keys or for furniture.”