The Estevan RCMP have issued a warning to residents about rental scams, in and around the area of Estevan.
A press release from the RCMP stated that in the most recent instance, the fraudster responded to an ad on Kijiji for a rental property, informing the victim that they were out of the country, but interested in renting.
The scammer contacted the renter via text message from a New York telephone number, and was given an email address to respond to. The scammer had an “associate” get in touch with the renter through email, to negotiate a rental price agreement.
The “associate” mailed a cheque with significantly more money than was agreed upon to the renter. When the renter asked about the over-payment, the “associate” instructed the renter to deposit the cheque and wire the difference, via MoneyGram, to a different address from what the original scammer and “associate” suggested.
The press release indicated that all correspondence was poorly written, using improper English. The Estevan RCMP has cautioned the public to be aware of such a scam tactic on account of the high number of available rental properties in the city and owners looking to rent those properties out.
The RCMP advised that if a person thinks they have sent money to a scammer and have not reported it, to contact the local police agency.
