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-   Vancouver Off-Topic / Current Events (https://www.revscene.net/forums/vancouver-off-topic-current-events_50/)
-   -   Rental scam (https://www.revscene.net/forums/640254-rental-scam.html)

FerrariEnzo 03-17-2011 12:47 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnomes (Post 7347404)
Would using cheques helped track down the people involved?
post dated cheques would have been better but not many people use cheques anymore...



this is a long shot but did you by any chance get a pic of the guy?

vafanculo 03-17-2011 12:54 AM
Have you tried contacting the ad from another email as a prospective tenant? Maybe the guy will be dumb enough to show the place twice.

Create an email address posing as a Japanese student. That area is filled with them.
Posted via RS Mobile

Manic! 03-17-2011 01:33 AM
I manage 35 units and only except cash deposits because cheques take 7 days to clear. When renting a place I would ask for the landlords I.D. and refs if your unsure.

fliptuner 03-17-2011 01:50 AM
Any video surveilance in the building?

achiam 03-17-2011 01:51 AM
If you were the renter, you could always look up the property's legal owner on the government website; the land title registry or whatever and then ask for proof ID I guess?
Any other ways to prevent this scam?

Mr.HappySilp 03-17-2011 09:27 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nlkko (Post 7347545)
Meh, the guy does have keys to every part of the building. He even have keys to the suite next door--he claimed to live next door (he went inside that suite for like 5 minutes).

He's middle-age, looks like a successful businessman, talk a lot, black hair, a little bald. Knows every nook and cranny inside the suite (he claimed his son lived there, renting out because the son is going back to college). Claimed to name Damion Shaw, have house at Coquitlam. Look kind like this guy: http://www.facebook.com/people/Damion-Shaw/1629594667

Just for the record, most place won't even take cheques. They would claim that people always write NSF cheques. Fair enough. The place I'm living in doesn't take cheque either. Cash, cash and cash. Using cheque does help with track down, which is the reason the scammers would refuse to use them.

As for the deposit. He claimed to have multiple individuals put down the deposit+1st month rent. Even showed me the agreement--which I later find out to be a generic standard agreement 1st result in google. I don't even know if those people exists. I hope not and only us bit the bullet.
When we rented out our apartments we take cheques. Even my co-worker pay this montly fee with cheques. If your landlord can't trust you with checques then I wouldn't trust him as well.

InvisibleSoul 03-17-2011 09:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nlkko (Post 7347545)
Meh, the guy does have keys to every part of the building. He even have keys to the suite next door--he claimed to live next door (he went inside that suite for like 5 minutes).
Having the keys to most of the building would be pretty standard if we're talking about common areas... but the fact that he had keys to the suite next door as well is definitely odd.

Quote:
He's middle-age, looks like a successful businessman, talk a lot, black hair, a little bald. Knows every nook and cranny inside the suite (he claimed his son lived there, renting out because the son is going back to college). Claimed to name Damion Shaw, have house at Coquitlam. Look kind like this guy: http://www.facebook.com/people/Damion-Shaw/1629594667
He said his name is Damion Shaw, and looks like a Damion Shaw that you found on Facebook? Wouldn't the odds be that the Facebook profile IS him? Unless of course he set up the Facebook profile as part of the scam.

Quote:
As for the deposit. He claimed to have multiple individuals put down the deposit+1st month rent. Even showed me the agreement--which I later find out to be a generic standard agreement 1st result in google. I don't even know if those people exists. I hope not and only us bit the bullet.
Uh... this didn't sound odd to you? Why would he claim to have accepted deposit and 1st month rent from multiple individuals for the same unit?

sam-tam 03-17-2011 09:38 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by vafanculo (Post 7348472)
Have you tried contacting the ad from another email as a prospective tenant? Maybe the guy will be dumb enough to show the place twice.

Create an email address posing as a Japanese student. That area is filled with them.
Posted via RS Mobile
+1

dark0821 03-17-2011 10:55 AM
i am not sure how the rest of vancouver works, but i think my building always takes cash for deposits and rental fees in post dated cheques.. but you are right abt people stop using cheques....

sucks to be the OP.. hope you catch the guy..

sonick 03-17-2011 11:14 AM
Is there anyway to verify that the person you are dealing with is the actual person authorized to rent the place out?

My friend called me last night with the same question...

Mr.HappySilp 03-17-2011 11:17 AM
^^ Reference from pervious tenate, check the landlord ID (Driver liscense) copy those info down. If he is unable to provide you with those info, I would say walk away to be on the safe side.

TheNewGirl 03-17-2011 11:19 AM
When I rent, I don't give them any money until I've signed a lease and seen their ID too.

Westcoast67 03-17-2011 10:38 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fliptuner (Post 7348517)
Any video surveilance in the building?
+1. I would imagine any building built in the last decade would have atleast a few cameras installed...

Gridlock 03-17-2011 10:47 PM
I manage 25 units in NW, and have never had someone question. A tenant at our townhouse was kind of concerned, but had recently had an issue with another landlord.

I find it weird that people don't question us. My gf and I don't look like the typical angry eastern European landlords, and we are young compared to others.

Could have quite the scam going on before people caught on.

TouringTeg 03-18-2011 07:27 AM
Thanks for posting about this to warn others.

As a landlord who just rented out a property last month, I thought about this as well. Our tenant never asked for any ID or proof that we owned the property they just took our word for it. They put a cash deposit down (equal to the damage deposit) to hold the property. The half months rent was paid in cash when we gave them the keys (it was half way through the month that we took possession).

I think as a tenant it would be a good idea to get a copy of their drivers license and ask for proof of ownership. A little bit above and beyond but you could also snap a picture of their license plate if you get the opportunity.

dru 03-23-2011 10:36 PM
Posted via RS Mobile

ziggyx 03-24-2011 07:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp (Post 7348862)
^^ Reference from pervious tenate, check the landlord ID (Driver liscense) copy those info down. If he is unable to provide you with those info, I would say walk away to be on the safe side.

How would you get reference from the previous tenant? What if he just gives you a reference from someone that's also part of the scam?


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