Updated: 2026-06-17｜For case progress and subsequent proceedings, please refer to the official announcements of the Toronto police.
Toronto police recently launched an in-depth investigation into suspected fraud in the area around Yonge Street and Finch Avenue, successfully arresting a rental scammer who specifically targeted international students. According to the police, between April and June 2026, the suspect widely posted apartment rental ads on online platforms and set her sights on newly arrived international students who were unfamiliar with the area, luring victims into wiring apartment deposits directly without ever viewing the unit in person or meeting her face to face.
After smoothly obtaining large deposits, the suspect suddenly vanished and completely cut off all contact with the victims. Only afterwards did the victims realize they had been deceived, discovering that this person had no authorization to rent out these properties at all. The 26-year-old Mengyao Du (transliteration), who lives in Thornhill, has now been arrested by police and charged with three counts of fraud under $5,000, three counts of possession of forged documents, and three counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and is scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. on June 12. Because the police have already released a clear photo of the suspect Du to the public and believe there may be other victims who have not yet reported the case, this incident again reminds international students preparing to rent in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to stay vigilant.
From this case, it is clear that this type of rental scam actually follows a familiar playbook: first post a rental ad clearly priced below market to catch the eye, then claim to be away from the area and unable to accompany a viewing, then ask the tenant to wire money before viewing, and if necessary even provide forged property documents to win trust. I have helped friends look at Toronto rental ads a few times myself, and the biggest red flag is always “rent that is unbelievably cheap” combined with “the other party keeps pressing you to pay first while finding all sorts of excuses not to let you view the place”—whenever both of these appear at the same time, you can almost skip it outright.
To avoid this kind of trap, holding to a few principles can actually block most of the risk: be sure to do basic background research on the listing and view the place in person; verify the identity of the registered owner or property manager of the unit, and if necessary confirm who the owner is through Ontario’s Land Registry; before formally signing the lease, absolutely do not pay any deposit or other funds first; and be especially wary of listings with rent so low it is hard to believe. There is also a simple benchmark for deposits—in Ontario, a landlord can generally only collect a “last month’s rent deposit” equivalent to one month’s rent, so if the other party makes outrageous demands for you to prepay several months, that in itself is a warning sign.
If you really suspect you have already been caught, immediately contact your local police to file a report, fully preserve all communication records and proof of remittance, and at the same time report the message to the platform where the ad was posted. As for the money, contact your bank as soon as possible to see whether there is still time to freeze or intercept the transfer; although the process of recovering funds after reporting is usually lengthy and not guaranteed to succeed, the sooner you act and the more complete the evidence you preserve, the greater the chance of recovery. International students who have just arrived in Canada to rent are advised to read this together with our Toronto Rental Guide: A Complete Guide for Newcomers, first getting clear on the proper viewing and lease-signing process, then pairing it with the Complete Guide for International Students in Canada to understand the various arrangements for the early days after arrival, and you can avoid a lot of unnecessary detours.
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