Windsor Police Warn Of Rental Scam
Tuesday March 13th, 2018, 2:39pm
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Police in Windsor are again reminding the public of the ongoing “rental scam” that targets local residents.
Police say victims have, in some cases, forwarded funds to the offender.
In one case, police say the victim paid a total of $1700 for security and down payment. In another case they advised that they paid $500 as a security deposit.
In a scam of this nature, police say the offender advertises a property for rent, usually over the internet. Sometimes the offender will respond over the internet to someone searching to rent an apartment.
The offenders are posing as landlords, but in actuality have no legitimate connection to the subject property.
The offender often times will inform a prospective customer that they are out of the country and not available to meet in person.
There is usually a time sensitive component as well, pressuring the customer to provide funds or personal banking information immediately.
Police are offering the following tips to help avoid the rental scam:
- Be vigilant, do some research and recognize the warning signs before sending money or personal information to someone you have not met.
- Contact the landlord directly and arrange to see the apartment in person.
- Request to see a lease/contract and review it thoroughly.
- Conduct an online search to see if it was previously for sale or for rent. Scammers have been known to use previous ads, so this research helps to ensure it’s not a duplicate post. If you find another post, contact the landlord or agent to confirm your information.
- Don’t send money to strangers. Money transfers are very popular with online scams because they are difficult to trace and can instantly end up anywhere in the world.
- Contact Equifax and Transunion if you’ve provided personal information.