Rental Scams Targeting Property Seekers in Canada
Canadian rental seekers — particularly in Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary — face a surge of fake listings on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist, where fraudsters collect deposits and first-month rent before the victim discovers the property was never theirs to rent.
Part of: Holiday Rental Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Canada's rental housing shortage is among the most acute in the G7, with low vacancy rates and high rents in major cities pushing applicants to act quickly on listings they have not fully investigated. Scammers exploit this urgency by offering below-market rents for desirable units and disappearing once deposits are collected.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) tracks rental fraud as a consistently high-volume category. International students, new immigrants, and remote job seekers relocating to a new city are particularly vulnerable because they often cannot inspect a property in person before committing.
How this scam works on Canada
A scammer copies a legitimate Kijiji or Zumper listing and reposts it with a lower rent and different contact details. The 'landlord' claims to be working or living overseas and cannot facilitate a showing, but is willing to mail keys after a first-month deposit and a damage deposit are e-transferred.
Once deposits are sent via Interac e-transfer, all contact ceases. The victim arrives at the property to find it legitimately occupied or empty and unavailable — the actual owner or tenant has no knowledge of the fraudulent listing.
Corporate apartment variants target relocating professionals: a scammer poses as a furnished short-term rental company, collects a multi-month deposit, and provides a lease for an address that either does not exist as described or is occupied by someone with no knowledge of the sublease.
Common red flags
- Rental price significantly below current market rate for the neighbourhood and unit type
- Landlord who cannot facilitate an in-person showing and claims to be abroad
- Request to pay first month plus damage deposit via Interac e-transfer before signing a lease
- Listing with photos that appear on different addresses when searched with reverse-image tools
- Urgency messaging claiming multiple other applicants are competing for the same unit
How to protect yourself
- Always insist on an in-person or video-call viewing before paying any money
- Search the property address on Google Street View and MLS to verify the listing matches reality
- Confirm the landlord's identity with a title search at your provincial land registry
- Never send deposits via Interac e-transfer to someone you have not met and verified
- Report suspicious listings to the platform (Kijiji, Facebook) before engaging
How to report it
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
- File a report with your local police service and provincial consumer protection office
- Report the listing to the platform it appeared on
Frequently asked questions
Is Interac e-transfer safe for paying a rental deposit in Canada?
Interac e-transfer is generally secure for sending funds to a person you have verified — but it offers no buyer protection or chargeback mechanism. Once sent and accepted, the funds cannot be recovered by Interac. Only send deposits after you have met the landlord in person, signed a lease, and verified their identity.