In a heartbreaking turn of events, a man has admitted to orchestrating a deceitful housing scam that left numerous individuals homeless in Montreal. Van Lanh Vuong, 45, confessed to defrauding 24 victims of a total of $37,460 by posing as a landlord in Montreal from April 17, 2024, to July 11, 2024.
Vuong’s case is scheduled to be reconsidered in a Quebec court on October 21 for the presentation of sentencing arguments. Among the victims who bravely recounted their experiences during the trial was Isaac Nyembo.
Nyembo described in his victim impact statement the harrowing ordeal of having to sleep outside a cinema and endure a month in a homeless shelter after falling victim to the scam.
Court records reveal that Vuong utilized a fake identity to approach his victims online, offering them apartments at affordable rates. He would then showcase rented or unlawfully accessed properties to the victims, have them sign leases, and demand a deposit equivalent to one or two months’ rent.
During the proceedings, it emerged that Vuong had rented three of the apartments, presented a neighboring unit to one victim, and allegedly trespassed into a fifth property. The victims only realized they had been duped on the day of their planned move or when Vuong vanished, making it impossible for them to receive the promised keys.
