A North Perth man was on the ball, and that kept him from getting scammed.
The OPP says he posted an ad online looking for a house to rent.
Someone claiming to be a doctor working in the U.S. got in touch and said he had a place Listowel.
The man then did some investigating and discovered that he was being set up.
He didn’t send any money to the scammer and contacted the police immediately.
Here are some strategies the OPP says you can use to keep yourself from becoming a victim:
– Do your homework, view the place before you make a deposit, questions, and check with neighbours.
– Is the price realistic for what you are getting?
– Are the ads similar to realtor listings? (Scammers often copy from Real Estate sites).
– Be careful of ads that require personal, banking or SIN card information.
-Don’t accept anything at face value, if it sounds unlikely or too good to be true, it probably is.
– Recognize the signs, if you’re being pressured to act, disclose personal details or send money to a stranger, it’s almost certainly a scam.
-Act quickly, contact the O.P.P. at 1-888-310-1122 and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 and stop scammers in their tracks.
For additional information about Frauds and Scams contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca