Members Alert Fraud
Wednesday Nov 02nd, 2022
MEMBER ALERT: Fraudulent Online Rental Ads
TRREB frequently receives reports from Members that involve fraudsters using legitimate for lease or sale listing information to post false rental listings online.
As this scam is ongoing, Members should be aware that these fake listings may:
- be poorly written.
- advertise a rental amount lower than what similar units or homes in the area may lease for.
- request that a deposit or first and last month's rent be sent to the “landlord” via wire transfer before a property may be viewed or to secure the lease.
- note upfront that due to certain circumstances, no in-person visits are possible.
Recently, a Member was notified that one of his listings was falsely advertised for lease on Facebook. When the “prospective tenant” tried to schedule a showing, the scammer asked her to pay an “application fee” before viewing the property.
In order to guard against such fraudulent activity, Members may choose to undertake routine internet searches of their listings.
If you have a safety alert or a new type of fraud to report, please send a detailed email to memberalerts@trreb.ca
A Fraud Red Flag Checklist
CREA’s ‘The Safe Side - REALTOR® Safety Issues’ brochure
REALTOR® Safety Tips
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