Greater Sudbury Police would like to advise the public of a series of frauds occurring in the Sudbury area. It would appear the same method of operation is being used to fraudulently acquire money from Sudbury Kijiji users.
Those at risk are persons posting want ads on Kijiji seeking apartments or houses for rent in the Sudbury area. The suspect will contact the ad poster via e-mail or text message, offering a property for rent and providing an address and photos of the interior.
The suspect will say they currently resides in the Greater Toronto Area and will then request the ad poster provide a deposit of $200 to $300 via e-transfer in order to have the apartment keys mailed out so that the apartment can be viewed.
Once the money has been transferred, the suspect then says they have spoken with their lawyer and now requires a second deposit for the balance of first months’ rent before the apartment keys can be sent.
This exact scenario has been reported to Greater Sudbury Police three times in March 2016, with the complainants suffering monetary losses ranging from $200 to $750. The public is reminded to remain cautious when conducting any online transactions.
To prevent being victimized by these criminals the Greater Sudbury Police recommend that you never forward money to anyone who makes a promise to deliver. Any honest worthwhile business transaction can and should be done in person.