Toronto Police are on the lookout for a Filipina woman accused of scamming 28 individuals out of more than $54,000 in rent payments for non-existent apartment units.

The suspect, identified as Laighnalee Asuncion, a 50-year-old resident of Toronto, is wanted for allegedly taking payments from prospective tenants who were seeking to rent units in an apartment building where she was employed. However, the units Asuncion offered were never available for rent.

Investigations suggest that Asuncion collected a total of 54,000 Canadian dollars, which is equivalent to over 2 million pesos, from the 28 victims. These individuals were led to believe they had secured rental agreements for the apartments, only to discover later that the units did not exist or were already occupied.

Further details from the investigation indicate that Asuncion resigned from her position at the building just before the victims were scheduled to move in. This left many of the victims without any recourse to retrieve their payments or gain access to the promised apartments.

In response to the growing concern, the Toronto Police Service has released Asuncion’s photograph in an effort to track her down. Authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information that might assist in locating her.

The Toronto Police Service’s 31 Division Fraud Unit has taken over the investigation and is asking anyone with knowledge of Asuncion's whereabouts to immediately contact the unit. Authorities have warned that, due to the nature of the scam, other victims may still be unaware that they were deceived and may come forward with additional information.

Anyone with tips on Asuncion’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Fraud Unit at the Toronto Police Service or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers.