If you’re looking to rent a condo in Toronto off of Kijiji or Craig’s List, beware of a Toronto condo rental scam making its way through Ice Condos in downtown Toronto at 12 York St. Recently, a sophisticated group of scammers have advertised multiple units for immediate rent at Ice Condos. The scammers initially pose as rental agents via phone and text and are bold enough to then setup appointments with would-be tenants for in-person showings at the condo building.
But the Toronto condo rental scammers aren’t agents at all. They’re actually people who rented the units short term under various fake names and ID’s via short term rental sites like Airbnb. With keys in hand, the scammers have full access to the unit and building and the ability to host property tours for unsuspecting victims.
Since everything appears legit, interested tenants sign lease paperwork and quickly hand over a hefty deposit via cash or money transfer to the scammers. The scammers then block all contact with tenant victims and disappear with their deposits altogether. Or worse, they hand over the condo keys to the tenant who moves in only to find out it’s an Airbnb rental when the cleaner shows up and they were completely scammed out of their deposit.
To avoid Toronto condo rental scam like these, always try talk to the building property manager to confirm the unit is actually for rent and find additional ways to confirm the unit owners ID, contact info and ownership.
Rent Safely Friends.
