RNC IDs suspect in fake landlord case after receiving 9 complaints

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it has a suspect in an active investigation involving a rental scam that recently hit multiple people in St. John's.

CBC News reported on Aug. 30 that Krown Property Management had issued apublic warning after being approached by five people about the apparent scam.

• Rental scam hits St. John's, alleges local property management company

The prospective renters told the companythat a man had posed as a landlord for one of its apartments and collected thousands of dollars from them.

The RNCnow says the number of alleged victims has increasednine individuals have come forward.

"People would go to the apartment, the individual would show them the apartment, they'd collect a deposit, as well as often a first or last month's rent," said Const. Geoff Higdon.

"And basically they did that over and over with the same property, which wasn't entitled to them. The person didn't own it."

Higdon couldn't provide further details on the case, but says the RNC's economic crimes section is investigating.

'Not common'

Higdonsays this type of fraudulent activity with rental properties is uncommon.

"We've seen a spike in it the last couple of weeks, but it's really kind of related to the same individual," he said.

Higdonsays it's difficult to offer advice to the public related to this particular matter about how people can protect themselves.

We've seen a spike in it the last couple of weeks, but it's really kind of related to the same individual.- Const. Geoff Higdon

"It wasn't a matter of the victims doing something negligent," he said.

"They did their homework... They did their best to prevent this from happening. But this individual of course presented themselves falsely, and unfortunately this happened."

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