Victoria Police arrest suspected rent scammers accused of bilking victims of thousands – BC

Victoria Police are searching for more potential victims after allegedly arresting two rental scammers who bilked thousands of dollars from at least 10 victims.

Police say they have recently become aware of a series of “sophisticated” scams in which victims have reported similarities in the suspects’ descriptions and methods.

Investigators say suspects placed online ads and then communicated with victims via email and text over a period of weeks to months – after which they “brazenly” met with victims, called their references and handed out fake key fobs .

The victims, believing they had valid leases, paid their first month’s rent and damage deposit before realizing they had been scammed.

Police got into the case in early September when one of the suspects met with a victim to show him a suite in a building he allegedly rented.

The victim wired the suspect money but became suspicious and contacted the property manager, who informed him that the apartment was not actually for rent.

The property manager then found the fake rental listing and contacted the scammer, who was pretending to be a tenant wanting to see the apartment.

When they met to tour the unit, he confronted the suspect and recorded the encounter. He also put the suspect on speakerphone with the victim, where the suspect promised to return the money he took – but police say he never complied.

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On September 2, police searched a unit inside the building and arrested one of two suspects in the case. Investigators say they also found evidence of another scam in the same building, which they disrupted.

A little over two weeks later, a victim of one of the previous scams discovered the man who allegedly cheated on him in downtown Victoria and called police, who took care of him and arrested him.

Police later found he was already facing 36 unrelated and outstanding fraudulent charges and was wanted on a warrant for breaching related terms.

Both suspects have since been released pending future court hearings.

“Given the man’s extensive history of fraud charges and convictions, and the number of victims in the current series of scams officers are investigating, investigators are concerned there may be other victims,” ​​police said in a statement.

Investigators have released a photo of the suspect, who they say is a suspect in at least nine scams, and are asking anyone who has lost money to him to contact Victoria Police at 250-995-7654.