A would-be Oak Bay resident has lost $4,650 after paying a deposit for a rental in the municipality that didn’t exist, according to police.
In a release, police say the person responded to a residential rental ad. The person who placed the ad then asked for $4,650 for the security deposit and first month’s rent.
The person sent the money for the unit which they believed to have secured.
When they showed up to the house to move in on the agreed upon date, there was an occupant in the home who advised the person that they had been living there for years and the unit was not up for rent.
Police say the matter is under investigation.
This was reported to police on Feb. 12, just days before a man was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for running a similar scam in Victoria.
RELATED: Man sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for ‘sophisticated’ Victoria rental scams
Laura Brougham
