BURNABY RCMP are warning the public of rental scams after a Burnaby resident had their personal identity stolen and now their ID is being used in fake Craiglist ads.
In late 2021, an adult male reported that his identity was stolen possibly through a ransomware attack and then leaked onto the dark web. Since then, his identity has been used in various scams but most recently, posing as a landlord seeking tenants in Vancouver.
“This victim is doing everything in their power to prevent further identity scams, but it keeps happening,” said Cpl. Alexa Hodgins. “Once your information has been leaked, shared or stolen, it is very hard to get back. We want the public to know the dangers of sharing their personal information online and to use the appropriate safeguards to prevent it.”
The victim continues to report fake driver’s licences, a fake passport, and fake Craiglist ads listed in his name.
In three separate instances, the identity theft victim was contacted directly by potential renters regarding his Craiglist ads. One of these potential renters even sent copies of a fake driver’s licence and a fake passport which had been sent to the potential renter as part of the Craiglist scam.
“These potential renters did the right thing. They became suspicious and reached out to the person directly, instead of continuing communication through the Craigslist platform”, said Hodgins. “By doing this, they not only…
