Peel Regional Police are looking for two suspects — and have already issued an arrest warrant for one of them — in an apartment rental fraud that allegedly cost at least eight people in Mississauga more than $30,000.
According to Peel Regional Police, the scheme ran between January and February 2025, when rental opportunities for a Mississauga apartment were advertised on social media. People who responded were invited to view the unit, where they met individuals who falsely claimed to be the current tenants.
The victims then signed rental agreements online and sent money by e-transfer to secure the unit, police said. When they showed up to move in, the apartment was unavailable and the person who had posed as the landlord could no longer be reached.
Investigators with the Fraud Bureau have identified at least eight victims, with combined losses exceeding $30,000. None of them received the accommodation they were promised, and none got their money back.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Jashanpreet Sidhu, 23, of Saskatoon, Sask. Police have not publicly named the second suspect they are seeking.
Peel Regional Police are urging anyone searching for rental housing online to be careful, warning that the same tactics used in this case — phoney tenant viewings, online agreements and pressure to send deposits quickly — are common in rental fraud.
Police advise renters to always verify the identity of prospective property owners, and to refuse to sign agreements or forward cash deposits without doing proper due diligence first. More information on fraud prevention is available through the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact the Fraud Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 3335.
