By Vanessa Ybarra

West Kelowna RCMP warn of online rental scam

Nov 17, 2017 | 2:38 PM

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. — West Kelowna RCMP are warning renters to do their due diligence after a woman almost fell prey to an online scam.

Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says the scammer allegedly copy and pasted images and rental information from a Central Okanagan ad to a fictitious ad containing different contact information.

When a woman emailed him showing interest in the suite the fraudster requested she e-transfer one-thousand dollars in order to receive the keys to the suite.

O’Donaghey says of course the keys never arrive in the mail.

Luckily the woman sought the opinion of her friend and pulled out of the agreement.

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RCMP are reminding the public to follow the following tips to avoid falling prey to online scams:

• Physically go to the property and book a viewing, when searching for rentals
• Conduct your own open source queries to ensure the advertisement isn’t a duplicate;
• Do not transfer funds to unknown individuals
• Trust your instincts, if it doesn’t seem right, don’t do it
• Consult with a friend or family member first;

For more information on this scam and others, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website here.