Toronto police arrest man posing as condo landlord
Posted October 30, 2017 12:18 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2017 6:59 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Following a CityNews investigation, Toronto police confirm they have arrested a man who allegedly posed as a landlord for a downtown condo and defrauded dozens of international students out of money.
A detective told CityNews officers arrested Bum Joon Kim in a parking lot on Monday.
In a news release, police said that Kim is facing 21 charges – three for fraud over $5000 and 18 for fraud under $5000.
Last week, two international students from Japan told CityNews they separately handed over thousands of dollars in rent to the same man, for the same Front Street condo.
One of the students handed over $5,600 in rent while the other paid nearly $8,000. According to the students, the man purporting to be the landlord, Kim, gave different reasons for why he needed the cash up front.
Since the story first aired, Toronto police have been flooded with calls from alleged victims.
So far, 22 people have filed an official complaint with Toronto police. CityNews has learned there are at least 26 victims in Toronto alone.
Police believe Kim is a flight risk and don’t believe he will be released on bail.
Kim is also wanted on a province-wide warrant in Coquitlam, B.C., where he faces 13 fraud-related charges.
