St. John's fraud victim helps police bust rental scammer

A St. John's man who was recently scammed out of $200 in an apartment rental scheme exacted some revenge this week by helping police nab the alleged fraudster.

The trouble began for the fraud victim, who asked not to be identified, after he noticed an ad March 7 on Kijiji.

The free classifieds website was advertising a one bedroom apartment for rent on Mundy Pond Road, going for $550 monthly, with a $200 damage deposit.

The man, desperate for a new place to live, responded to the ad, saying he would take the apartment without a viewing. 

Growing suspicious

He met up with a man who said he was the landlord's brother, and handed over money for the damage deposit. The brother handed him a receipt.

The man began making preparations to move in, and started getting emails from the landlord, requesting that he pay the first month's rent.

The man told CBC News that he wasn't comfortable paying rent until he was in the apartment.

The landlord wrote back saying if the rent wasn't paid, the deal was off.

That's when the man became suspicious. 

He got the address from the ad and went to see the place for himself. But when he arrived at 278 Mundy Pond Rd., he found a vacant lot rather than a place to live.

Homeowner gets a shock

The man checked Kijiji and saw that the landlord had other properties listed for rent, including one on Canada Drive.

He called and spoke with the homeowner, who was shocked to learn their house was being advertised for rent.

The man called the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and learned this was not a new scam.

Officers asked the man if he would help them with the case.

The man agreed, and wrote the landlord, saying he had the $550 for the first month's rent. 

They arranged to meet in the parking lot of th Village Shopping Centre.

The landlord's brother showed up Tuesday night, hoping to play out the final act in a scam he had been setting up for weeks.

What he didn't know, however, was that he was the one being set up.

He handed the man a set of keys and said the apartment was all his. That's when RNC officers swooped in and arrested an 18-year old male, who has been charged with fraud and breach of a court order.

But the victim is out the $200 and has to begin his search for a new apartment all over again. In a further complication, the man had previously given written notice to vacate his current apartment, and must be out by Friday.