Rental Fraud Hurts International Students

On what was supposed to be a fresh start for Harsh Patel’s move-in day in a new city became a scene of dismay and confusion. A Conestoga College international student, when arrived at his new apartment to find it was not available – an unpleasant surprise by more than a dozen others who also have been duped.

The apartment listing was on the Facebook marketplace, a two-bedroom plus on Chandler Drive, but Patel thought he had found a home for himself. The maintenance staff let him know several others had been misled, and it didn’t take long for Patel to find out he wasn’t alone in this nightmare.

“It was devastating,” Patel said, his voice still bitter with anger. “There were 15 of us, all standing there with our belongings in our hands, and to be tuned around and sent back. Some of the people were crying.”

Victims of the scam, many of whom were international students or immigrants like Patel were left not only homeless but out of thousands of dollars. Lease agreements had been inked, with first and last month’s rent, which was $4000 and some even paid an additional $350 cleaning fee.

Patel, who was especially hit given his status of being a newcomer, said, “They’re taking advantage of us because we don’t always know the ins and outs of renting here. It is like a betrayal, especially when the scammer turned out to be from my own country.”

The building management team, Greenwin Corp., confirmed to Global News the listing was a scam. “This was not connected with the legitimate landlord of the property,” a spokesperson said.

Patel’s story is a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities associated with being new to a country and trying to figure out how to find a safe and reliable place to live, “Patel said, “only to find themselves in such a distressing situation. It is a fact, but we have to be alert.”