RCMP are warning of another online rental scam in hope of sparing university students the grief of being out of pocket in time for the start of the school year.

“At this time of year there are many students returning to university who would be opportune targets for this type of scam,” Staff Sgt. Grant Learned said Monday.

The victim, a 22-year-old Kamloops man, reported to police that he made an agreement online with a Myron Kapel to rent an apartment on the 200 block of Arrowstone Drive in Sahali.

As part of the agreement, the victim forwarded $997 through a money gram to secure the apartment, said Learned. When he arrived to move in, the building manager and property owners told the victim no one named Myron Kapel is employed by them.

There are a number of ways to avoid falling victim to such a scam. The most important is to meet the property owner at the location before exchanging money for keys, he said.

“It’s almost like turning over money to a stranger,” said Learned.

Susan Jarisz, residential property manager for Capital Property Management, said no legitimate landlord wants to close a rental agreement online without meeting a prospective tenant.

A meeting allows a landlord to show the condition of the apartment and get a feel for the prospective renter, she said. The preference is to not rent a property sight unseen.

International students are often targeted by such scams, with about two incidents a year reported to the TRU Student Union.

“It’s becoming more and more of an issue,” said executive director Nathan Lane.

That’s why the student union has a housing registry and rental resource centre for students online at www.trusu.ca. ;