RENTAL SCAMS - Please take extra care before sending any money.
As professional REALTORS®, we take extra steps to verify who you are & will never ask the following;
We DO NOT ever take your money up front
We will not take a deposit without a RENTAL APPLICATION & verified credit check
Any deposit cheque is made payable to our BROKERAGE (not a personal account)
We do not accept e-transfers to our personal accounts
We also ask you to fill out a pile of paperwork (RECO, OREA & Brokerage Forms in addition the Government of Ontario issued Standard Lease - Residential Tenancy Agreement) to complete your transaction, if you are being rushed or pressured that is a RED FLAG.
Our service is never just a LEASE & DEPOSIT - If that’s what is being asked of you, please take time to verify the person you are dealing with on the other end.
My staff and I personally make time for all of our clients, please feel free to call and ask questions, rest assured we are here to help.
We’ve been notified of a Kijiji SCAM rental posting with “Alex Sarazin” name & info on it in the past. If you see any listing that does not look or sound legit, please report it:
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/
Ottawa Police asked any victims of these scams to report the incident and anyone with information is asked to call 613-236-1222, ext. 5433. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Some articles on Ottawa & on-line rental scams:
Ottawa U - Tips to avoiding Housing Scams:
https://www.uottawa.ca/campus-life/housing/housing-scams
Ottawa Citizen article on on-line rental scams:
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-police-warn-of-online-rental-scams
CBC article on on-line rental scams:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/how-to-avoid-online-rental-scams-1.3474445
Ottawa Police - Warning about rental parking scam