September 06, 2022
Housing Shortages Fuel Scams Against International Students
T This year's historically busy rental season has seen an unprecedented rise in rental scams, which puts renters who are already under pressure to find housing at greater risk. International students have also been impacted by housing shortages, in addition to tenants. According to a recent study by a student housing cooperative, many international students may become the target of the recent housing scam that is roiling Canada.
The warnings come as Canadian authorities investigate rental scams after three students spent thousands of dollars on bogus lodging. In August, Iranian PhD student Armina Soleymani told a major Canadian newspaper that she paid a $2,000 deposit on an apartment she found on Facebook and viewed in person, only for the scammer to disappear with her money.
Soleymani, a student at the University of Waterloo, later discovered that the woman who showed her the apartment was a "subletter of a subletter" and that other students had also been duped.
…local police have confirmed that they are investigating several reports of rental fraud in Waterloo's university district and have advised students to "be suspicious" of any attempts to complete deals quickly…
Local police have confirmed that they are investigating several reports of rental fraud in Waterloo's university district and have advised students to "be suspicious" of any attempts to complete deals quickly.
Nathi Zamisa, programme director at the non-profit student housing organisation HOUSE Canada, stated that the organisation was aware of scammers targeting students on Facebook and blamed the increase in this type of fraud on Canada's lack of affordable student housing.
Earlier this year, a student union in Ontario warned that the sale of university properties to private developers, who frequently focus on "high-end" student housing, meant that students were struggling to find affordable housing.
Posted in News and tagged News, International Students, Housing Shortages, Canada, University of Waterloo, HOUSE Canada, Facebook
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