For years now we’ve been warning consumers about the apartment rental credit check scam: a scheme where homes (that may not even exist) are listed online with the sole purpose of tricking prospective renters into paying for “credit checks” that will never be done. Today, federal regulators announced they had put a stop to one company accused of using bogus listings and fees to swindle millions out of hopeful tenants. [More]
rental scams
Why Is My House Listed For Rent On Craigslist?
By 3.24.16
It must be an awkward conversation when you call up a friend to let her know that the house she owns is up for sale on Craigslist, but protecting us from scams is just one of the many purposes that friends serve in our lives. In California, a woman was surprised to learn that her house was listed as a rental on Craigslist, when she had no plans to rent it out. [More]
Watch Out For Scammers Renting Out Homes They Don’t Own
By 1.21.15
“Make sure that someone owns the apartment they’re making available for rent” seems like a completely batty consumer warning, but unfortunately it is also a necessary one. People in Sacramento say that they handed hundreds of dollars each over to a woman advertising rooms for rent on Craigslist, only to discover that she’d rented the same space out to multiple people, and didn’t own it in the first place. [More]
Scam Artist Tries To Play Landlord, Collect Rent For House He Doesn’t Own
By 8.7.14
A woman in California was about to put down a $1,500 deposit on the house she’d just been shown by a nice young man who was managing the rental property for his dad. Luckily, she told her real estate agent pal about her new digs before she was scammed out of her hard-earned cash. [More]
Scammer Charged With Renting Out Home She Didn’t Own Six Times In A Few Weeks
By 11.5.13
While we don’t condone scamming in any form, we’ve written enough about inept scammers over the years to pick up a few tips on how to avoid being caught so easily. For example, if you’re going to try to swindle people out of thousands of dollars in bogus rental deposits, don’t get greedy and try to hoodwink six different tenants in just a matter of a few weeks. [More]
Warning Signs Of Rental Scams
By 1.23.12
When you’re searching for your next place to rent, it’s easy to be swept up in attractive amenities, blinding yourself to potential pitfalls. That’s exactly the type of mentality swindlers are counting on when they attempt to bilk money out of lazy rental hunters. [More]
Real Estate Listing Leads To Rental Scam
By 1.13.11
Just after Thanksgiving, reader Adam’s new renter showed up on his doorstep to look at the house and pick up her keys. The trouble is, while Adam’s house is for sale, it’s not for rent. The woman on his doorstep was the victim of an Internet rental scam. [More]
