A Calgary senior recently forced out of his own home by foreclosure is now out more than $3,200 in a possible rental scam.
Daniel Reid, 68, recently had to sell his home after falling into some financial trouble. He was hopeful he’d found a suitable rental online but is now worried he was scammed.
“I looked around, found this place five minutes away and filled out the application,” he told Global News. “I don’t know if it’s legit or not. I’m hoping it’s not a scam.”
Reid was approved for the rental home back on Feb. 6 via email — the only way he has corresponded with the supposed owner. He was sent over a leasing agreement and told to pay the rental price of $1,300/month right away.
But Reid said asks for more money continued over the next few days, right up until Feb. 21 when he had already alerted Global News. He said he was told to email the balance of $650 rent on Wednesday and then he would receive the key.
“That was the red flag,” he said, discouraged.
Global News tried to contact a phone number on the email but no one answered, and also went to the physical address. The house is currently vacant.
“I went to the house three times,” he said. “I… liked the place.”
A Global News land title search found the names of the listed owners were different from the contacts listed on the rental sites. The same rental is also on a number of other sites — at varying prices.
Rentals.ca, the original listing site that Reid contacted, responded late this afternoon.
“Thank you for promptly reporting the suspicious listing to us. Your vigilance and commitment to maintaining the integrity of our platform are highly appreciated,” the statement read. “Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously, and we will initiate a thorough investigation into the matter immediately.”
A posting on the popular site also warns people to not send any money before seeing a property in person.
Reid and his wife are scrambling to find a home. He said he wishes he had heeded the red flags, but said it was difficult when he was caught “between a rock and a hard place.”
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