Saskatoon Police warn of online rental ad scam

Saskatoon Police are warning people seeking housing about an ongoing scam involving online rental advertisements.

According to Police, scammers are posing as property owners on online classified forums like Craigslist and Kijiji using photos taken from real estate listings or rental property ads. They then tell potential renters they are out of town and can't show the property.

In order to secure a rental property, victims of this scam are told to put down a damage deposit through a electronic transfer or money wire. Once the scammer receives the money, they cease contact with the victim.

Police caution against putting down money on a rental property before seeing it first-hand. They also warn the public against sending money to a stranger.