A rental on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace looks perfect — landlord wants a deposit before viewing
A rental on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist looks like a great deal. The "landlord" is out of the country and asks for a deposit or first month by Interac e-Transfer before viewing. The property either doesn't belong to them or doesn't exist. Common with newcomers, international students, and first-time renters in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal.
Also known as: Kijiji rental scam Canada, Facebook Marketplace rental fraud, fake Toronto Vancouver apartment listing, newcomer rental scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Never pay any money before viewing the property in person and seeing photo ID of the person letting it to you
- 2 Reverse-image search the listing photos on Google — scam photos usually appear on Zillow or Realtor.ca under a different address or as a for-sale listing
- 3 Check the current owner via the provincial land registry (ONLAND for Ontario, Registre foncier for Québec, LTSA for BC) if the deposit is significant
- 4 Real security deposits: in Ontario, only a last-month deposit; in Québec, no security deposit is permitted; in BC and Alberta, held by the RTB / Landlord & Tenant Advisory Board
- 5 If you've already paid: contact your bank and CAFC immediately — Interac e-Transfers can occasionally be recalled if unaccepted. Wires are much harder to recover
- 6 For newcomers and students: check with your university housing office or a settlement agency — they maintain vetted landlord lists
- 7 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.
Red flags
- ⚠ The rent is noticeably below market for downtown Toronto, Vancouver, or Montréal — real listings match Zumper, PadMapper, and Rentals.ca comparables
- ⚠ The photos are professional and identical to a listing on Zillow or Realtor.ca under a different address, or a for-sale listing
- ⚠ The 'landlord' is overseas (mining site, London, missionary work, on a boat) and cannot show the property in person
- ⚠ They ask for a deposit, key delivery cost, or first month by Interac e-Transfer, gift card, or wire before any viewing
- ⚠ Communication moves quickly to WhatsApp or email — the message tone is often urgent because 'other applicants are interested'
- ⚠ The lease is emailed as a PDF and looks generic — no property manager, no reference check, no LTB Ontario / Régie du logement Québec / RTB BC involvement
Known variants
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'Overseas key delivery' variant: after paying the deposit, the fake landlord says they'll courier the keys from wherever they are abroad and asks for a $150 international courier fee via wire or gift card. Neither the keys nor the property exist.
Last seen: 5/30/2026
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'Newcomer targeting' variant: scam targets people arriving from India, the Philippines, Nigeria via Kijiji and Facebook groups for their diaspora community. Scam listings advertise 'welcoming to newcomers' or 'no landlord reference needed'. Deposit demanded in USDT, Bitcoin, or wire to protect the scammer.
Last seen: 6/15/2026