Rental scams in Revelstoke: how to spot them and stay safe

By Oscar Irvine · Updated 16 October 2026

It happens here

Revy's rental market is tight every autumn, and scammers know it. In one case reported by Black Press, a couple moving to Revelstoke for winter jobs lost $2,100 to a fake Kijiji listing, then a $500 deposit to a second one. The moderator of the Revy Rentals Facebook group said he'd blocked around 400 suspected scammers from joining.

Warning signs

• The person is "out of the country", "working away" or otherwise can't show you the place.
• They want a deposit, rent or a "holding fee" before you've seen it.
• They ask for an application fee. That's not allowed in BC.
• The rent is well below similar places, or the photos look like a hotel or a show home.
• They push you to decide today because "lots of people are interested".
• They want payment by wire transfer, gift cards or crypto.
• The keys will be "posted to you" once you've paid.

How to check a place is real

1. See it. In person if you're in town. If you're not, a live video call where they walk you round the room and show you the outside of the house.
2. Check the photos. Do a reverse image search (Google Lens or similar). Scammers copy photos from real listings, and sometimes list a real house that isn't theirs.
3. Meet the people. Talk to the person renting it and, if it's a shared house, the housemates.
4. Get it in writing. Rent, dates, deposit and what's included, before any money moves.
5. Pay safely. Only after all of the above, and to the person named on the agreement.

How Revy Rooms helps

• The site never asks for your phone number and never shows addresses, so there's less for scammers to scrape.
• "Looking for a place" profiles are only visible to signed-in members, so scammers can't easily find people to target.
• Messages stay on the site, and every listing and profile has a Report link. Reported posts are checked, and taken down if they break the rules.
• Some listings show Seen on video: it means we saw the place on a live video call with the host. It's a good sign, not a guarantee, so still see it yourself before you pay.

If you've been scammed

1. Call your bank straight away. They may be able to stop or recover the payment.
2. Report it to the police. Revelstoke RCMP: 250-837-5255 (911 in an emergency).
3. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or on 1-888-495-8501.
4. Report the post wherever you found it, and warn others. On Revy Rooms, use the Report link on the listing.