Accused in apartment fraud makes court appearance

A woman accused of scamming thousands of dollars from people looking to rent apartments made a court appearance on Thursday.

Febe Ann Yap, 31, is facing half a dozen fraud charges. 

Police allege 30 people may have been defrauded by Yap, who was offering a deal too good to be true.

The victims signed leases and handed over cash deposits to secure apartments for rent.

Nicholas Leveille says he's out of a home and $2,000 after he met Yap. 

"This person is making a living off of destroying other people's lives," said Leveille.  "She took everything from us."

According to Leveille, Yap claimed she was able to rent two suites at an apartment at Leslie and Sheppard.  

He signed the lease for one apartment and agreed to pay a portion of first and last month's rent.   

He was set to move in on May 1, but then he says he got a call from Yap.

She told him she was sorry there was a problem.  "They were cleaning and broke a pipe. The flooring needs to be changed.  Three more days." said Leveille.

He told her he had nowhere else to stay so she put him up in a nearby hotel until moving day.  

Turns out he wasn't the only one.

Sueanna Jaikiran told CBC News she "discover[ed] there were five other people at the hotel that were supposed to move in that day as well."

Jaikiran says she found out that she and the others had each paid thousands of dollars in deposits for the same suites,  Five months pregnant, she's now sleeping on her mom's couch.

"I can't believe people can be that cruel."

Jaikiran and Leveille and 20 others have gone to police.  Police suspect there may be more.

They believe Yap had access to the buildings, because she either lived there herself, or knew someone who did. 

Yap appeared in court via video link from the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton.  She's facing six fraud charges.

Leveille says he's now learned his lesson and he's been much more thorough as he searches for a new place.