A Langley man has been arrested and charged with running a rental scam where people are enticed to put down deposits on properties without the owner’s knowledge.
According to a statement released by RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy, the scam dates back to June where a man obtained a deposit on a property that was not actually available for rent.
Lartgy said a prospective renter responded to an online ad and when they made contact, the person supposedly renting the property met him at a nearby coffee shop.
When the man asked to see the property in person, he was told it wasn’t possible because there were currently tenants in the residence who would be evicted to allow him to move in.
After paying the first month’s rent the man noticed the property was still advertised as available for rent.
It was then they realized they had been defrauded.
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Investigators were able to identify a possible suspect and charges have been laid against Jordan Lunny, a 37 year old Langley resident.
Lunny has been charged with fraud and providing a misleading receipt and is scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court on November 26th.
Largy said it is possible more people have fallen victim to a similar scam and not yet reported the situation to police.
“We would like to encourage those individuals to come forward and make a full report so investigators can follow through with any possible charges,” Largy said.
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A similar scam was reported later in the year, when two Murrayville residents discovered their hosue was being offered for rent without their consent.
Largy was unable to say if there was a connection with the Lunny case.