Rental Scam Toronto

Thank you for posting this. I got the same story, same email, only it was regarding a vancouver apartment. He also used a similar email, but changed that too... [email protected]

You just saved me big time. Thank you


This is the message:

Hey,


Thank you for your interest in my apartment located in Melville St, BC, V6E 0A7. The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place. The apartment has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 1200 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.


Thank you and look forward hearing from you!

This man has a lot of apartment!!
I received the same mail but this time it was for a Montreal flat...and the adress mail is [email protected]
Here is the mail/
Hope it will save other's time


Hey,

Thank you for your interest in my apartment located in 4497 Avenue Papineau, QC H2H 1T9. The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place. The apartment has 2 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms. It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 870 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.

Thank you and look forward hearing from you!
David

PS : I attached you all the pictures that I have with the apartment ( as you can see everything is in absolutely perfect condition ) .

Thanks for posting the new information Mad_ddie!

hey! Thanks for this I got the same response for one in Calgary

Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:31:11 +0200
Subject: Re: $750 CAD Downtown Luxury Condo 1 Bed
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Hey,

Thank you for your interest in my apartment located on 727 6 Avenue Southwest,T2P 0T8. The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place. The apartment has 1 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms. It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 750 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.

Thank you and look forward hearing from you!
David

PS : I attached you all the pictures that I have with the apartment ( as you can see everything is in absolutely perfect condition ) .


he then sent me this one after i responded:

Hello ,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 750CAD and damage deposit 750CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called RENTMONITOR (www.rentmonitor.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with RentMonitor given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David

I was very close to regret everything, but when i noticed the email,
[email protected] on behalf of David Kushner ([email protected])
I googled it and found this website, what a close one.

This will be his third email...


Hi again ,

You will only have to deposit to RentReporters the first month of rent from contract and damage deposit 680 $ + 680 $ = 1360 $ CAD so they can proceed with the transaction . I will explain you step by step how this process will work:

1 - To start the process all I need is your full info(full name, address and a cell phone number).
2 - I will go at RentMonitor to deposit the keys and the contract on your name as the intended receiver.
3 - RentMonitor will check the package to see if everything is in order and also the legal papers that will come along with the keys and proof of ownership with their Real Estate Professional Department in London. They will also confirm with the building manager that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
4 - RentMonitor will send you a delivery notification to let you know they have the keys and the papers in their custody in which you will also have all the payment instructions to complete the wire transfer to the RentMonitor bank account .
5 - At this point you will have to make a money deposit on the RentMonitor bank account for the amount we agreed, the total amount you shall deposit for the first month of rent ( and damage deposit ) . The payment needs to be sent within 24 hours after you receive the transaction details or else they will charge me an additional fee.
6 - After you make the deposit you will have to send the payment details to RentMonitor .
7 - RentMonitor will verify the transfer and if everything is in order they will start the shipping procedures using UPS or TNT Next Day Shipping Service .

8 - After you receive the package, you will go and check the apartment and in 5 days (inspection time) you must contact RentMonitor to inform them if you keep the apt or not and if everything is in order you will instruct RentMonitor to send me the information about the money deposit and I will be able to receive the funds. If you don`t like the apartment they will be sending the money back to you and you will send back the keys and contract. RentMonitor can't release the funds without your approval.

Let me know if you have the funds available (1360 CAD$) so we can move forward and e-mail me your full information I requested. Any further questions regarding the transaction you can call me or e-mail me.

Thanks
David

Winnipeg:

I responded to an ad for a rental property on Kijiji.ca. As far as I can tell, that ad no longer exists.

Correspondence:

from: David Kushner <[email protected]>
to: [email protected]
bcc: [redacted]
date: Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 6:31 PM
subject: Re: $560 Bright Studio DOWNTOWN
mailed-by: gmail.com
signed-by: gmail.com
Mar 24 (4 days ago)

Hey,

Thank you for your interest in my apartment located in 128 Smith Street, MB R3C 1J6. The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place. It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 560 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.

Thank you and look forward hearing from you!
David

PS : I attached you all the pictures that I have with the apartment ( as you can see everything is in absolutely perfect condition)
17 attachments — Download all attachments View all images

from [me]
Mar 25 (3 days ago)

to David
I forwarded your reply to my girlfriend [redacted], and she's sent you an e-mail. She's the one interested in the apartment.

Regards,
[redacted]

from [me]
7:03 PM (18 hours ago)

to David
Hi David, do you have a phone number I can reach you at?

Regards,
[redacted]

forwarded by: [redacted]
5:19 AM (8 hours ago)

Begin forwarded message:

From: David Kushner <[email protected]>
Date: 27 March, 2013 9:49:37 PM CDT
To: [redacted]
Subject: Re: Bright studio

Hi again [redacted] ,

You will only have to deposit to RentMonitor the first month of rent from contract and damage deposit 680 $ + 680 $ = 1360 $ CAD so they can proceed with the transaction . I will explain you step by step how this process will work:

1 - To start the process all I need is your full info(full name, address and a cell phone number).
2 - I will go at RentMonitor to deposit the keys and the contract on your name as the intended receiver.
3 - RentMonitor will check the package to see if everything is in order and also the legal papers that will come along with the keys and proof of ownership with their Real Estate Professional Department in London. They will also confirm with the building manager that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
4 - RentMonitor will send you a delivery notification to let you know they have the keys and the papers in their custody in which you will also have all the payment instructions to complete the wire transfer to the RentMonitor bank account .
5 - At this point you will have to make a money deposit on the RentMonitor bank account for the amount we agreed, the total amount you shall deposit for the first month of rent ( and damage deposit ) . The payment needs to be sent within 24 hours after you receive the transaction details or else they will charge me an additional fee.
6 - After you make the deposit you will have to send the payment details to RentMonitor .
7 - RentMonitor will verify the transfer and if everything is in order they will start the shipping procedures using UPS or TNT Next Day Shipping Service .

8 - After you receive the package, you will go and check the apartment and in 5 days (inspection time) you must contact RentMonitor to inform them if you keep the apt or not and if everything is in order you will instruct RentMonitor to send me the information about the money deposit and I will be able to receive the funds. If you don`t like the apartment they will be sending the money back to you and you will send back the keys and contract. RentMonitor can't release the funds without your approval.

Let me know if you have the funds available (1360 CAD$) so we can move forward and e-mail me your full information I requested. Any further questions regarding the transaction you can call me or e-mail me.

Thanks
David

David Kushner
9:28 PM (16 hours ago)

to me
Hello [redacted] ,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 560CAD and damage deposit 560CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called RENTMONITOR (www.rentmonitor.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with RentMonitor given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David

Thank you so much for posting this, I responded to a post for an apartment for rent, the price was ridiculously low. It so happened it is in the building I currently live in so I became suspicious. As the saying goes 'If something is too good to be true, it usually isn't'
Hey,

Thank you for your interest in my apartment located in 260 Sackville St, Toronto, ON M5A 3G1. The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place. The apartment has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 1190 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.

Thank you and look forward hearing from you!
David

PS : I attached you all the pictures that I have with the apartment ( as you can see everything is in absolutely perfect condition ) .

I emailed 'David' and received the following reply
Hello Natasha ,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 1190CAD and damage deposit 1190CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called RENTMONITOR (www.rentmonitor.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with RentMonitor given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David
I called the number and spoke to 'David', I asked him the unit number because I currently live in the building, he paused then gave a unit number. I haven't checked it out yet but will do and let you know. I googled rentmonitor and according to their website, they are only operational in the U.S. That's when I googled 'rentmonitor scams' and came across these posts! I've been desperate in trying to find an apartment that I can afford, thank you for saving me from a HUGE mistake.

My boyfriend just got the same email for an apartment in Toronto!

I got the same this In Calgary, Alberta

My Message:

Hello Alex ,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 810CAD and damage deposit 810CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called RENTMONITOR (www.rentmonitor.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with RentMonitor given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David

Hi I also got the same in Calgary Alberta--

Tip off: the rent is exceedingly below market rate, and doesn't make sense. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is...

Form letter email received below:

Hello C,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 810CAD and damage deposit 810CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called RENTMONITOR (www.rentmonitor.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with RentMonitor given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David

I comntacted rentmonitor and got the following reply...

Unfortunately, this is not a legitimate landlord and we are not sure why he is using the RentMonitor information in his correspondence. The RentMonitor system is only available in the U.S. and does not handle transactions of this kind. Please do not continue to correspond with "David Kushner" as he is trying to scam you.

Good luck in your rental search and thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have contacted both Craigslist and Kijiji about the ads and would be very grateful if you would contact the company where you saw the ad as well.

Also, if you are able, can you please send us a link to the ad in question?

Hi sis1natasha,
Thanks for the additional information; I saw the ad on Kijiji for Calgary, so that's good if you have reported to there. The other "tip off" was that the ad was taken down, even though "David" claimed to be still searching. Is there a phony RentMonintor site where "David" does transactions? I noticed both identities he stole are real people who can be found on Linkin.

-C.

I comntacted rentmonitor and got the following reply...

Unfortunately, this is not a legitimate landlord and we are not sure why he is using the RentMonitor information in his correspondence. The RentMonitor system is only available in the U.S. and does not handle transactions of this kind. Please do not continue to correspond with "David Kushner" as he is trying to scam you.

Good luck in your rental search and thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have contacted both Craigslist and Kijiji about the ads and would be very grateful if you would contact the company where you saw the ad as well.

Also, if you are able, can you please send us a link to the ad in question?

Hello I just received the same email for 4497 papineau ave montreal. he used a different name this time avid Kawalec.

Unfortunately I did provide some personal information but no money. I have notified louer.com, Canadian fraud protection and the Quebec RCMP. I hope someone can stop this guy. It is disappointing we live in this reality.

I am really Thankful that all of you posting these. It seems Like he is scamming Canada-wide. I had doubt when I got his emails, but I still trusted him 60% and told Him about myself. This is what the asshole wrote:

David Kawalec
[email protected]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. As I told you before the rent for 1 month will be 580CAD and damage deposit 580CAD ( last month) with no extra fees and you will have full access to all the amenities of the building. The price will not increase for the whole period that you will stay there. I would also like to know how many people will live in the apartment and also which rental contract do you prefer- 6 months or 1 year rental contract with option of renewal. The monthly payments can be wired to my Canadian Bank Account (TD Bank) or we can setup a payment method that is suitable for both of us.

The apartment is in excellent condition, you only need to receive the keys and the contract so you could check it out, and see if you like it. Since at this moment I'm in London, United Kingdom and obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal.The solution is a worldwide third party company called ClickandBuy (www.ClickandBuy.com) ,they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package

We use this company to see that you are an trusting and serious person. They will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the rental package . With this procedure you will be able to check the apartment before I receive the payment. Please be aware that is NOT necessary for you to register with ClickandBuy given that I'm a registered user for 4 years and I've made over 30 transactions with them so far. They are really professional and they have great services.

My phone number is +44 208 133 2566 (if you are calling from Canada you may need to dial 011-44-208-133-2566). You can call me or e-mail anytime you wish.

Let me know if you are interested so I can provide with all the steps of this transaction . You need to know everything about this process before we get this started. I think is right for both of us.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon!

David

Hey,

Thank you for your interest in my apartment located in 10024 Jasper Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, AB T5J 1R2 . The apartment is in excellent condition and it's just like in the pictures, very clean and very well taken. Honestly from point of view I'm sure that you will rent it on spot. I'm not looking to make a business or a profit with the apartment, I'm just trying to find a good and trust person to take good care of the place.It is furnished but if you want you can use your furniture and deposit mine in the storage unit that is located near the building not far away. The rent is 580 CAD/month with everything included (heat, hydro, water, electricity, cable and internet-full package from Rogers, 2 parking spots, laundry in-suite, washer and dryer). You will have full access to all the amenities of the building. Pets are allowed. I stayed in the apartment with my wife for 3 months. I'm a civil engineer and I work for a company that has an auction for a project in construction in London, United Kingdom, so my accommodation period in England will be about 4 years. Everything in the apartment is new so there will be no need for repairs.

Thank you and look forward hearing from you!
David

PS : I attached you all the pictures that I have with the apartment ( as you can see everything is....

Just got the same reply today from David. I think everyone needs to complain to local RCMP, aol and media. I have already but the more people doing it the better.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/rep-sig-eng.htm

Reporting Scams and Frauds

If you have not lost any money and have not provided personal or financial information (relating to a fraud or scam), and you simply want to inform the appropriate organizations, report it to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501

If you received a fraudulent e-mail soliciting personal or financial information (phishing scam), you should also advise the financial institution or other agency whose name was used.

If you are a victim of fraud or if you unwittingly provided personal or financial information (identity fraud), follow the steps in our Victim Assistance Guide.

If you are a victim of fraud and it is not related to identity fraud, contact the police service of jurisdiction in your area.

Always report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at [email protected] or by dialing 1-888-495-8501 or on-line by visiting the CAFC website.