Oshawa man bilked rental scam victims of more than $50K, police say
Posted May 16, 2023 2:49 pm.
Durham Regional Police allege an Oshawa man defrauded over 35 people out of more than $50,000 in an apartment rental scam.
According to investigators, the suspect posted apartment ads on Facebook Marketplace, advertising apartments for rent in London, Ontario.
Police say the suspect would collect first and last month rent from his alleged victims, and then vanish, ceasing all communications.
On Sunday, May 14, 2023, police arrested Ghana Ariharan, 27, in the Simcoe Street North and Conlin Road area of Oshawa.
He’s facing several charges including fraud over $5,000 and possession of proceeds obtained by crime.
On Monday, Toronto police issued a release in a separate, but similar rental scam investigation.
In that case, police said they’re searching for Cem Devrim Turetken, 49, after he was accused of defrauding several people with phony online apartment listings.
Police say Turetken used a variety of different aliases and company names online, including Smart Rental Property Management Inc., located in Sudbury, and GTA Rentals.
