Fraudulent Rental Activities Popping Up Again in Barrie
Putting up ads of apartments for rent with lower cost rates than the market is one of the most common rental scam that occurs in Barrie and of late, the Barrie Police Service have been on alert after receiving hint that rental scam is showing itself in the area once again.
Recently, rental apartments are posted on posting sites with units for rent tagged with lower price rates than the average market. When people try to make inquiries, the supposed landlord will respond that they are not in town hence it will not be possible for them to see the house.
In most cases, the details of the homes are posted through email with several of these homes previously listed in the market. Fraudsters obtain their information from previous home listings.
Interested prospective renters are then required to make payments via money transfer with the assurance that they will receive the keys to their home through mail or they will get it when they get to their apartment.
Too often at times, such renters will go to the property only to discover that they have fallen victim of a fraudulent trap with their money gone and no place to reside.
Although most of the victims of such activities do not report such cases, witnesses of such events in most cases report these happenings to the Barrie Police.
With the rapid increase of rental scam activities, people in search of rental units have been warned to be alert and several tips have been provided on how people can safe guard themselves.
When looking for rental units, renters are advised to visit the property to ensure that it is available on the market and also be sure of the details provided on the house. It is also the right for tenants to request for rental contracts and also compare the cost of rentals in the area.
Additionally, renters should never send money via money transfer or through any other measures to strangers or an agent you have never met because such things cannot be easily traced.
To sum it all up, if you as a renter have doubts about a particular property or landlord, then you might consider finding another apartment.
