Quebec cottage owner says fraudster used her property in online scam
If you're looking to rent a cottage for a weekend getaway, be careful. Fraudulent activity has increased during the pandemic, and one cottage owner found that out when she got a bizarre knock at her door.
It all began when Gren Cowper thought he found a great deal to rent this cottage in Wentworth North. But when he was emailing with the person who posted the ad on LesPAC.com, he sensed something was off.
“It sounded like a Google translation of English,” he said. “His greetings and salutations were not typical of a Quebecer.”
When Cowper researched the listing, he discovered that the property actually belonged to someone else, Tracy Goodson, who runs a website called CozyCottages.net, where the real ad was posted.
“Someone has stolen my property’s identity,” Goodson told CTV News.
The poster was trying to get interested renters to send a deposit before they could see the place, something security experts warn against unless you're convinced the person on the other end is legitimate.
Goodson says she repeatedly asked LesPAC to take down the ad, but it kept popping up. Once, someone even knocked at her door looking for the person who posted it.
He must have driven all the way from Montreal, she said.
“So, he spent an hour and a half, two hours in traffic on a Sunday. And I said, ‘oh no, did you see the ad on LesPAC?’ He said ‘yes.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry to tell you it’s a scam.’”
Goodson is angry LesPAC kept letting the fraudulent ad appear, but LesPAC says the poster kept using a different email and IP address to post it.
“Every time, our team was quite fast to take action, identify the fraudulent ad, then block it and remove it,” LesPAC Operations Vice President Luc Morin told CTV News. “But the moderation that was in place was not sufficient.”
Morin says they have learned from what happened to Goodson and have improved security as a result. But, he says, fraudsters still find a way to get through.
He says anyone using online platforms should be careful. Sometimes, he said, “you will see a note ‘please contact me at the following email address’ — this is a [red] flag. Don’t do that.”
“If it doesn’t work with the phone, just stop and go with another property.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes widely supported resolution backing full UN membership for Palestine
The United States vetoed a widely backed UN resolution Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.