Real estate agents and the police are warning prospective renters against online housing scammers that use legitimate sites such as Craiglist to either steal personal identification or swindle deposits to hold the property that does not even belong to them.
This new scam has been making news across the United States after several renters and property owners have reported such incidents to the police. Staff at Zimmerman Realty were surprised to receive a call from a customer who saw the fake post on Craiglist that rented out one of their properties.
Twenty-two-year old Darrin Ferrell shared his experience in an interview by Dayton Daily News. He and his wife were looking at transferring to another apartment when they chanced upon the fraudulent Craiglist post and called the "realtor" to inquire. The scammer refused to give Ferrell a tour of the unit, but requested that he first send a down payment and initial rental fee of $1,200. He would then send the keys to the apartment. Sensing something bogus about the transaction, Ferrell contacted Zimmerman directly and found out it was a scam. Good thing he hasn't deposited any money yet.
"That [money] would have taken exactly what we needed to get into the new place that we are actually going to move into, and we wouldn't have been able to move at all," Ferrell told Dayton Daily News.
Staff and owner of Zimmerman were shocked that the scammer had stolen pictures from its site to make their Craiglist ad look legitimate; they suspect these people to come from overseas. Police are now investigating the case.
It may not be too surprising how many people are being scammed by these bogus rental ads as they look very authentic. These Craiglist posts come with online application forms asking for personal identification, photos of the units for rent, even comments from supposed homeowners and a contact number that has someone waiting on the other line should prospective renters call to inquire.
In a report by the Journal Sentinel, police have already sent out public warnings to renters to be vigilant against these scammers. "The true owners of the properties are not aware that their home has been listed for rent on the unauthorized websites until the prospective renter makes personal contact with them requesting an inspection or a house key," the police warning read.
Police also reminded that property agents and landlords are not authorized to ask for personal information such as Social Security number, driver's license number, or financial history, much less a down payment without fist seeing the unit for rent.
