Fort Lauderdale, Fla., homeowner Stephen Chase got the surprise of his life when a Quebec family travelled 2,600 km and knocked on his front door, thinking they had rented his house.
It turns out they had fallen victim to scammers who are fleecing Canadians by posting fake house rental ads on the Internet.
Several websites show luxurious beachfront residences, but the houses are in fact being listed without the owners' knowledge.
Chase has had several visitors and cold calls from Canada in recent weeks.
"Ten days ago, an elderly couple from the Quebec City area showed up at my door," he told QMI Agency in a phone interview. "He was here to rent my house."
The couple, who speak no English, had to call a family member in Quebec to translate Chase's explanation and figure out that they had been swindled.
Chase said his neighbour has received five visits from Canadians, including two Montrealers who came to her door last week.
"They wanted the keys because they had rented the house," said Chase, who has contacted the FBI.
The fraudsters created ads featuring real photos and even addresses of luxurious Florida homes. Prospective renters are asked to wire money to complete the transaction. They're then redirected to the home and only realize they've been scammed when they arrive in Florida to move in.
Quebecer Marie-France Daoust says she nearly lost $6,000 after she answered an ad on villa4vacation.com. She and a friend decided in September to rent a house in Fort Lauderdale to have a family vacation with relatives.
She contacted a person who claimed to be the owner of a home in Fort Lauderdale, and sent a $2,850 cheque. She received a stamped contract a few days later asking her to send the balance by cheque.
But she grew suspicious when she received a phone call asking her to change her method of payment.
Upon further investigation, she discovered that the home actually belongs to an unwitting 85-year-old woman who never intended to rent out her house.
Daoust stopped payment on her cheque before it was cashed.
"I've been lucky because the bank didn't deposit the first cheque," said Daoust.
Stephen Chase has since uncovered eight websites that have posted false rental listings in Florida.
Villa4vacation.com lists a New York City phone number, a New Jersey post office box and claims "every vacation rental property" is listed on its site "directly by the owners and managers."
The operators did not respond to QMI Agency's request for an interview.
--With files from Brian Daly
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/08/florida-rental-scam-targets-canadians
