At least a dozen Calgary families say they are out thousands of dollars and are without a place to live after they were victimized in a bizarre scam after they agreed to rent the same Temple duplex.
The victims say they paid a damage deposit and the first and last months rent to a person they believed was the owner of the home. They say rental agreement contracts were signed and the victims moved out of their homes, expecting to move into their new place on October 1, 2013.
According to police, the woman who had posed as the landlord was herself a rental tenant. The duplex was advertised on Kijiji throughout the summer and interest in the ad was high.
The victims of the scam say they toured the home and paid the woman between $1,450 and $3,300 to rent the place.
The renters believed everything was on the up and up, until October 1 approached and the woman told them they would have to delay the move-in day.
According to the tenants, the woman’s stories unraveled Wednesday morning when the tenants arrived with their possessions and realized they were all renting the same place.
Police were called to the Temple home on Wednesday and transported the tenant to hospital for a psychiatric assessment.
“She was taken to hospital and during that time she disclosed to officers that she had been defrauding several different families in regards to this rental property," said Sgt. Andrew Harnett.
Police expect to file fraud charges against the woman. Social agencies are working with the victims of the rental scam, some having children and pets, and arranging for temporary accommodations.
With files from CTV's Bill Macfarlane
