Edmonton scam victims down $11K in fake rental listing fraud: police

Police say several Edmontonians are out of pocket a combined $11,000 due to a fake rental listing online.

The Edmonton Police Service is warning the public about the northeast Edmonton address – 7516 147 Avenue.

Authorities say the property is advertised as a house for rent on Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces.

According to EPS, the complainants say they spoke to the person they believed to be the owner, and in some cases met in person to tour the house. After the prospective tenants signed a lease and paid a deposit, the suspect would disappear with the money, failing to return calls or show up on the agreed-upon possession date.

Police are advising prospective renters to be aware of the address and scam, and report advertisements for this address to police. People who have lost funds due to this scam should report it to the police.

Police are providing tips for prospective renters:

• Speak with someone who has rented from the same person or company
• Search the property online to see who lives there
• Determine if there are other rental ads for the same property
• Check other listings in the area to see what the going rates for rentals are

“Pay attention to your instincts: if something feels wrong with a listing, the application process feels rushed, or something seems too good to be true, be wary,” police add.