Looking for a Rental? Watch for Scams that Will Leave You Homeless and Broke

A second Craigslist scam has surfaced and it is worthy of attention. In this case, the scammers are using peoples’ homes for a bait and switch. A man in Indiana put his house up for sale and afterward, had some strange experiences. He ultimately found out that scammers had listed his house as a rental property on Craigslist and took deposit money from unsuspecting would-be renters.

The monthly rent in the ad was so cheap that people were coming up to the door, peering in his windows, and roaming his property. Applicants were asked to send in their personal information and a security deposit to the scammers and then they would be able to have access to the cozy three-bedroom, two-bath house.

The scam was positively identified when the homeowner received a message on Facebook asking if he was indeed selling or renting. The poster mentioned the possibility that someone was running a scam using his name. That person was indeed correct.

When looking for property for rent on websites such as Craigslist, Zillow, Hotpads, or others watch for the red flags:

• The listing person won’t meet with you to show you the property in advance of taking your deposit

• There is an extravagant story attached to why the owner is renting the place. In this case, several false claims were made including the owner was leaving the country for several years on a mission trip. The scammer corresponded with the victims and was able to extract personal information that way

• You are asked to wire money to the new landlord without having seen the place.

• Several states now prohibit landlords from collecting your social security number. If you are looking for property in those locations, question why you are being asked for that information.

If you suspect a property listed is part of a scam, notify local law enforcement. They can take it from there.

© Copyright 2016 Stickley on Security