One local business woman is thankful she didn’t hit send on a near $5,000 transfer for a much needed place to live before looking into what turned out to be a scam.
Sarah Taylor shared her story on her Facebook page Friday and reached out to BarrieToday because she said she doesn’t want anyone to ever go through what she almost did.
“Thank God I didn't get scammed ... but there are other people out there that are getting scammed by these people and it is driving me crazy,” said Taylor.
Currently living in the Allandale area, Taylor’s landlord just sold the house that she rents with her mom and her kids. She has to move before Nov. 30.
“My daughter is autistic and just started high school. With everything she has going on, I cannot change schools on her,” said Taylor. “So I’m looking to live around the Innisdale Secondary School district.”
Taylor had been looking and, as a board member for the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, she had many friends and business associates keeping an eye out for her as well.
She put an ad on Kijiji about what she was looking for and got a few responses that were not helpful, until she got one from a gentleman in Edmonton.
“He seemed legit and said he was renting the house out because it was his dad’s place before he passed away and he lives out west with his mom right now,” said Taylor. “But my gut senses kicked in and wasn’t feeling the best about the whole thing.”
Taylor asked the man if she could get in to look at it, but he said there was no way he could do that at the moment because he was in Edmonton. That’s when Taylor took matters into her own hands.
“I went up to the place and there were all these cars in the parking lot. For a place that was supposed to be empty, there sure were a lot of cars,” said Taylor.
“I went and knocked on the door and told the person who answered that someone was trying to rent this place to me at the end of the month. He assured me he wasn’t moving and knew nothing about it.”
Taylor contacted police but because there was no exchange of money, there was nothing they could do. The fact that he was in Alberta made it even trickier to investigate.
Taylor spoke to the man Friday morning and let him have it.
“He called me back after missing my call and ... that’s when I told him off,” said Taylor.
After telling the scam artist that she had been to the house and that he should be ashamed, she informed him the authorities were contacted with his information.
Despite knowing that nothing will likely happen to the person attempting the scam, Taylor wanted to make sure to remind people to remain alert when looking into rentals.
“Don’t send any money, go check it out first, go see the place and make sure it is legit. Had I given him the money he was asking for, it would have been devastating to me and my family,” said Taylor.
“It almost happened to me. I’m with many organizations in the community and deal with business owners everyday, I’m one myself," she said. “If it could almost happen to a board member with the Chamber of Commerce, it can happen to anybody. Everyone can be a target.”
Elysia Noel, a local realtor, told BarrieToday that she hears about these rental scams too often, and they are a real concern.
“Tenants should be aware and be informed,” said Noel. “Anyone who feels they are getting scammed should always make sure they physically view the property being advertised for lease, and avoid dealing in cash if possible.”
Noel advised people to reach out to a realtor who can cross-reference the property to verify the landlord’s name, hold all deposits in a trust account and refer you to the correct document (Ontario Standardized Lease) that a legitimate landlord should have you sign.
“Trust your gut,” said Noel. “If something feels off, it likely is.”
