Scams are a dime a dozen and it's your responsibility as the consumer or client to be wary and mindful when conducting your business.
Real estate is the newest big scam on the market (pun intended). In Toronto and Vancouver, fake real estate companies have been "operating" complete with beautiful websites and efficient receptionists answering our telephone queries. These fake realtors find a condo/apartment which is for sale (usually by an overseas owner) and pretend to be the agent representing the owner. They download photos of the apartment and post them to their website lending further credibility to their scam. They then organise viewings of the home and ask potential renters to pay the fist and last month's rent plus security deposit. When the "renter" turns up to move in the fraudulent agent cannot be contacted and persons find out the home was never available. In most cases their money is never to be seen again.
Rentmatic, a San Francisco-based company, has also been dragged into this recent real estate scam.The company's name and email addresses have been used on correspondence and victims were asked to submit their rental funds via wire transfer but Rentmatic claims it neither operates in Canada nor accepts wire transfers.
I guess the old adage is true..."If you believe something is too good to be true it usually is!" Always check references and try to find reviews of past customers' experiences before handing over your hard earned money.
Video taken by ordinary citizens in an attempt to catch scammers in action in Vancouver, BC.
