With a predictably tight housing market in Whistler as winter approaches, the RCMP is warning residents of potential online rental and property scams.
Local police usually see an increase in scams at this time of year, targeting both long-term and short-term rentals, RCMP said in a release.
“Fraudsters can be very convincing and anyone can be a victim of a scam, but there are some things everyone can do to reduce their risk,” said Cpl. Nate Miller in the release.
Police recommend visiting the address in-person; requesting a lease or contract and reviewing it thoroughly; and searching online marketplaces for the posted rental address to ensure there aren’t duplicates.
“If the person requests payment in crypto currency, gift cards or e-transfer, this is a strong indicator of a scam,” Miller said.
“If you feel rushed or pushed to do something, it could be a sign of a scam. Go with your gut. If it seems off, it probably is.”
Those who think they are the victim of a scam can contact the Whistler RCMP, while suspected scams can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.
Sarah Singh from Toronto was excited to make the move to Whistler this winter, and even had a job lined up with Whistler Blackcomb—before she fell victim to an online scam herself.
As a person with disabilities, Singh said WB’s staff housing accommodations wouldn’t work for her, and she was desperate to find a one-bedroom apartment.
“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack,” she said of her search for a Whistler home.
Most of the landlords she contacted didn’t reply, but a link sent by a friend through Craigslist offered some hope.
The man who replied said his name was Jacob, that he lived in the U.S. and was looking for a “respectable tenant” to rent his apartment on Spearhead Drive.
“This all goes back to the fact that I don’t have experience in renting, but he said that once I pay the deposit he would send out the keys in the mail, and the lease information and all that type of stuff,” Singh said, adding that she sent the man $1,444.
“Part of it was because it was so hard to even secure a place—I was like, ‘I’m willing to do whatever I can to secure this place, because it’s so impossible to even find somewhere.”
After she sent the deposit, the man sent a link to a website that showed a tracking number.
Soon after, he asked for another month’s rent, claiming his wife was in the hospital—which set off the red flags for Singh.
When she threatened to go to the police if the keys and contract didn’t arrive, the man cut off contact entirely, and when she went to report the listing online it was gone.
“Now I look back on it, it’s like, ‘You’re so stupid … clearly it was too good to be true,’” Singh said.
“But at that point I was so desperate to find somewhere to live, you know?”
Singh said she filed a report with the Toronto Police, but “I’m really just not optimistic, because I’m sure that name is fake, I’m sure everything is fake … changed his number, changed his name, changed the email.”
As for her dream of moving to Whistler, Singh said she has given up the ghost.
“Because this all happened, it really just turned me off from Whistler,” she said.
“Which is so sad, because I was really looking forward to it.”
But Singh isn’t alone in her desperate search, according to the 36,000-member Whistler Housing Rentals for Locals Facebook group.
According to administrator Jen Biberdorf, the group currently has about 200 “looking for housing” ads posted (which is actually about half of what was typically posted in the same time period pre-pandemic).
“Mainly singles and couples, but some families have been struggling as well. Housing availability is nearly non-existent this fall,” Biberdorf said. “In the spring there were 100 new beds added to the market, however the number of shared rooms seems to have been reduced. The past few years I only really recommend house hunting in spring.”
