International students in Kitchener, Ont. lose thousands of dollars to alleged rental scam

Harsh Patel showed up on move-in day at his Kitchener, Ont. apartment to find more than a dozen strangers trying to do the same.

Patel, an international student at Conestoga College, said he was shocked and confused when he found out the unit wasn’t really available for rent.

It was also a big disappointment to everyone who showed up with all of their belongings – only to be turned away.

“It was around 15 people. The maintenance guy also said to me, before us five or six guys also showed up,” Patel told CTV News. “They were very upset. Some of them were crying.”

Other victims of the scam didn’t want to be interviewed but told CTV News they signed lease agreements and paid their first and last month’s rent, which was $4,000. Some also paid a cleaning fee of $350.

Patel feels manipulated as most of the victims were international students or immigrants.

“They are taking advantage because we don't know many stuff about leases and all the things,” he explained.

Patel said the apartment rental was listed on Facebook Marketplace. The poster indicated a two-bedroom plus den was available on Chandler Drive.

Screenshot of the fraudulent ad on Facebook Marketplace. (Submitted)

When Patel viewed the unit on Aug. 15, a man who claimed to be the tenant was there. He said there were no personal belongings in the apartment, even though the man stated he hadn’t moved out yet.

“There was nothing. You need some clothes to live, you need some utensils for your kitchen. There was none of those things,” Patel explained.

He admits that that should have been a red flag.

The victims said they called the woman who claimed to own the unit but nobody answered.

“After eventually calling for like 10 or 12 rounds, she blocked me,” Patel said.

CTV News also tried to reach the alleged apartment owner but the call went straight to voicemail.

“Many immigrants came here for different and good lives,” Patel said. “When I came here, I also found out that the lady was from my country as well. So I find it very disrespectful.”

The Chandler Drive apartment building in Kitchener, Ont. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

A spokesperson from Greenwin Corp., the building management team, confirmed the listing was a scam.

“A number of community members believed they were renting from an individual landlord,” their statement to CTV News said. “That is not connected with the landlord that is exclusively operating the property.”

The Waterloo Regional Police Service are investigating the incident.

Patel, meanwhile, said he doesn’t know where he will go. He’s renting a new short-term property but will have to move again later this month.

Online rental scams

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) said online scams are rising across Canada.

In 2023, they received over 51,000 complaints.

“715 of those reports are rental scams, and 508 victims lost a total of $820,000,” CAFC’s Nancy Cahill told CTV News.

The CAFC said fraudsters typically create classified ads for property rentals in ideal locations, often at below average prices to attract potential victims. Scammers may also use legitimate photos from stolen ads.

“If you fall victim to the scam, you contact Equifax TransUnion,” Cahill advised. “If you've given any financial information, contact your financial institution and put a fraud alert on your file.”

Tips on avoiding rental scams

According to the Waterloo Regional Police Service, rental scams are increasingly targeting students.

They shared the following tips for renters:

• Avoid verbal agreements. Make sure everything is documented and you have a copy.
• Schedule a viewing of the property and confirm that the property exists.
• Use only bank cheques, money orders or credit cards after a legitimate rental agreement is made.
• When signing the lease agreement, do not provide confidential information, such as Social Insurance Number and bank information to avoid identity theft.
• Use online search options to research the property.
• Be suspicious if there appears to be urgency or pressure to get the deal done quickly.