With the school year approaching, Waterloo Regional Police Service is reminding students and residents to be aware of rental scams.

A rental scam is a type of fraud where fraudsters post fake rental listings, often for properties that are unavailable or do not even exist, with the intention of tricking victims into sending money.

Scammers typically:

• Use stolen images from legitimate rental websites.

• Advertise below market rental prices to attract interest.

• Create a false sense of urgency, pressuring victims to send a deposit or first month’s rent upfront, often before any viewing.

Once the money is sent, the fraudster disappears, leaving the victim without a place to live and without a refund.

Since July 1, 2025, police have received reports of four rental scams. In one incident the victim did not view the unit and agreed to pay the fraudster rent via an e-transfer after responding to a post on social media advertising the unit for rent.

The investigations remain ongoing by WRPS’ Fraud investigators.

To help prevent being a victim of a rental fraud scam, please consider the following tips:

• Use trusted rental platforms.

• Avoid verbal or text only agreements. Ensure everything is documented and you also have a copy.

• Be aware of landlords who refuse to meet in person.

• Do not provide payment before signing a rental agreement.

• When signing the lease agreement, do not provide confidential information, such as a Social Insurance Number and bank information, to avoid identity theft.

• Be suspicious if there appears to be urgency or pressure to get the deal done quickly.