Falcons play ball

Langara women's basketball
team sustains losses, the men
get one win. P8

behind it. P4-5

Shadow puppets

The Voice explores Indonesian
puppetry and the puppeteer

A burger haven

‘Three restaurants in Vancouver
compete for the best burger.
www. lanagaravoice.ca

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA

NOVEMBER 14, 2019

* VOL. 52 NO. 05 * VANCOUVER, B.C.

re ie
Aya Abdulhadi looks over papers she wrote documenting an agreement between her and who she thought was a landlord. Abdulhadi said she was a victim of a
rental scam and doesn't expect to get much money back. / 4uREN GARGIULO PHOTO

| admit to being scammed

Rental fraud rises as internet ads pose high risks, VPD warns

By LAUREN GARGIULO

ya Abdulhadi took the

correct steps to protect

herself mid-rental agree-

ment, according to police
recommendations. Yet despite going
“by the book,” Abdulhadi said she
was still scammed with little hope
of a full refund.

Vancouver police media spokes-
person, Constable Tania Visintin,
said in recent years Canada and
Vancouver have been seeing more
rental scams because the internet has
become the primary source of apart-
ment hunting.

A part-time instructor at the
Native Education College in
Vancouver, Abdulhadi said she
found a downtown Vancouver apart-
ment on a social media site, met with
a woman who identified herself as
the landlord and who showed her the
unit. Abdulhadi paid up front and
signed a B.C. rental agreement.

Shortly after, the landlord ghosted
with the money — without giving

Abdulhadi a key or access to any
apartment.

According to Visintin there are
ways to avoid these kinds of scams.

“Dont send money to anyone you
haven't met in person” said Visintin,
who advised getting as much infor-
mation as possible on the person
taking your money, and to call 911

monthly accommodations, she found
an apartment on Facebook Market-
place. She said after viewing the suite
at 1001 Richards Street with the
“landlord,” she handed over $1,500
in cash and e-transfers over a couple
of days. She even got receipts, she
said.

Abdulhadi said she asked the

if needed. “landlord”
“Once that “That's $1,500 from for photo ID
911 file . and received
number is someone who just a photo of
open, police : her B.C. ID
will activate | QYaduated,juststarted | cara
an investiga- ” The Voice
tion.” work. called the
Yet the — AYA ABDULHADI, PART-TIME NATIVEEDUCATION “landlord”
London, COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR twice with

Ont. native
said because she “willingly gave over
cash,” there was nothing the police
could do, despite the precautions
Abdulhadi said she had taken.
Visintin said she couldn't comment
on Abdulhadi’s case because it was
an open investigation.

Abdulhadi said while looking for

contact
information supplied by Abdul-
hadi but the number had since been
disconnected.

Abdulhadi said she met the “land-
lord” three times, and was in constant
communication using texts and
phone calls, yet she said after the

cash was handed over, communica-

tion went silent.
“That’s $1,500 from someone who

just graduated, just started work,”

Abdulhadi said.

Director of Operations at Land-
lordBC Hunter Boucher said there
has been an increase in apartment
rental scams.

“It’s something we're hearing more
about,” Boucher said, “[But] gener-
ally, the scammer doesn't meet the

otential renter in person.”

LandlordBC provides legislation
clarification and advice to owners
and managers of rental housing in
B.C...

Boucher said landlords who rent
out apartments don't have much
control over what their tenants do
with it.

“(The landlords] can cooperate
with the police and end the tenancy
agreement but past that, there isn't
anything they can do,” Boucher said.

“I went by the book,” Abdulhadi
said. “I always thought [people who
get scammed] weren't doing the

right thing.”

Lang's
love of
news

revived

By KRISTEN HOLLIDAY

Kerrisdale school is remem-

bering the only Canadian

journalist who died in the
War in Afghanistan.

Magee Secondary School held
an assembly on Thursday, Nov. 8, to
honour one of its alumni, Michelle
Lang, the only journalist who was
killed while on assignment to cover
the war.

A plaque was unveiled during the
ceremony, which will be permanently
placed in the school to commemo-
rate the journalist. Lang’s family and
friends were in attendance, along
with Member of Parliament for
Vancouver-Granville, Jody Wilson-
Raybould.

In front of a full auditorium of
students and faculty, Catherine
Lang, Lang’s aunt and a former
Langara journalism school gradu-
ate, spoke about
Lang’s life, career,
and the assign-
ment in Afghani-
stan.

She said Lang
was aware of the
dangers, but knew
it was important
to tell Canadi-

Catherine Lang

MICHELLE LANG'S :
AUNT ans the stories of
ordinary Afghan
people.

“She loved to learn, and wanted to
see that the women and girls would
finally be able to get an education
after five years of brutal Taliban rule.
Ifshe could write about those people
and their stories, maybe Canadians
would pay attention,” Catherine
said. “Maybe Canadians would care
more, and better understand why we
were there fighting that long and
messy war.”

Lang, an SFU graduate, started
her journalism career at the Prince
George Free Press. She moved on to
the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, the
Regina Leader-Post and then the
Calgary Herald, where she worked
on the health beat before accepting a
six-week assignment in Afghanistan.

In an interview with The Voice,
Lang’s mother, Sandra Lang, said
her daughter was always interested
in writing and current events froma
very young age.

Please see LANG'S LOVE, page 2