CALGARY POLICE WARN OF RENTAL SCAM

Calgary police are reminding anyone searching the internet for an apartment to watch out for online scams.

In most cases, a person posing as a landlord says he or she is out of the country and requires a deposit on the rental. Once the money is paid, usually through a money transfer, the new tenant discovers there isnt actually a rental.

The scam isnt a new one, but police said its recently become more prolific and harder to spot because fraudsters are cutting and pasting text from real ads and using real photos. The only thing that is different is the contact information.