Former Calgary resident warns others about rental scam
A former Calgarian is warning others about the pitfalls of rental scams after losing more than $5,000 to a fraudulent landlord while looking for apartments in Vancouver.
Last year, Carlha Perez began apartment hunting online from her home in Calgary a few weeks before transferring to the West Coast for work.
She came across an ideal listing on Facebook Marketplace for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in downtown Vancouver, pet-friendly and fully furnished for $3,100 per month to rent.
Anticipating moving from Calgary to Vancouver in time for Sept. 1, she sent an e-transfer of $5,400 dollars to cover the first month's rent as well as security and pet deposits.
On Aug. 30, all contact from the would-be landlord was cut off.
"My calls weren't going through. I tried calling from my husband's phone and nothing. We sent emails and everything. That's when we knew [it was a scam]," said Perez.
She stayed in Calgary for another month before eventually finding a legitimate rental in Vancouver, but without the true identity of the fraudulent landlord, police told her there was little action to take.
"So we just sort of cut our losses and have accepted that we're probably never going to get that money back," said Perez.
She contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which says rental scams rank seventh among the top 10 scams reported by Canadians in 2022.
Officials at the BBB say just five per cent of victims of frauds or scams end up reporting it.
Mary O'Sullivan-Andersen, president and CEO for BBB Alberta and East Kootenay, says there are red flags to watch out for.
"If you're sending money, where are you sending it? Is it a trusted and secure link? Is [the account the] same name as the property management company?" she said.
She adds that property management companies that are registered and rated well are likely to be better choices.
Perez hopes her story helps others.
"I think if people will talk a little bit more about it, then maybe [rental scams will] happen less."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.