The fake rental listing scam

What the scam looks like

You're hunting for an apartment - Marketplace, Kijiji, a rental site - and you find one that looks perfect: nice photos, good neighbourhood, and rent noticeably below everything else. You message the landlord. They reply quickly and politely, but there's a catch: they're out of town (working out of province, on a mission trip, caring for a relative) and can't show the unit in person.

To "hold" the apartment for you - because, of course, other people are interested - they ask for a deposit or the first month's rent by Interac e-Transfer or wire. Some send an official-looking lease to sign first, or a link to a "background check" page that collects your SIN and ID.

The photos are stolen from a real listing and the apartment was never theirs to rent. Around July 1, when whole cities are looking at once and good units vanish in a day, the pressure to grab it sight-unseen is exactly what this scam runs on.

Red flags

• Rent clearly below market for the area - the hook that makes you hurry.
• A landlord who can't show the unit and has a story for why they're away.
• A request for a deposit or rent by e-Transfer, wire, or gift cards before you've seen the apartment or met anyone.
• A "background check" or "application" link asking for your SIN, ID photos, or banking login.
• The same photos appearing in other listings (a reverse image search often finds the original).

What to do

• Never send money for a place you haven't seen. No visit, no deposit - no exceptions, even in a hot market.
• Insist on an in-person visit, or at minimum a live video walkthrough where they prove access to the unit.
• Search part of the listing text and reverse-search the photos - copied listings show up fast.
• In Québec, landlords can't demand a security deposit at all - being asked for one is itself a warning sign.
• Got a link to the listing or an "application" page? Run it through our link checker first.
• If you already paid, contact your bank immediately, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).