SCAM ALERT

Looking for a home to rent?  As you consider issues like size, cost, and location of the rental, also consider this: that rental listing could be a scam. Scammers often advertise rentals that don’t exist or aren’t available to trick people into sending money before they find out the truth.

How Scammers Work:

Scammers know that finding the right apartment or vacation rental can be hard work, and a seemingly good deal is hard to pass up. They’ve been known to game some vacation rental websites and bulletin boards. The take-away: when you’re looking for a rental, it’s caveat renter — renter beware. 

Hijacked Ads

Some scammers hijack a real rental or real estate listing by changing the email address or other contact information, and placing the modified ad on another site. The altered ad may even use the name of the person who posted the original ad. In other cases, scammers have hijacked the email accounts of property owners on reputable vacation rental websites.

Phantom Rentals

Other rip-off artists make up listings for places that aren’t for rent or don’t exist, and try to lure you in with the promise of low rent, or great amenities. Their goal is to get your money before you find out.

Signs of a Scam

Being savvy when you’re in search of a rental is well worth the effort. Here are some signs you may be dealing with a scam:

They tell you to wire money before you've even seen the house.  This is the surest sign of a scam. There’s never a good reason to wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee, first month’s rent, or vacation rental fee before you see the house. That’s true even if they send you a contract first. Wiring money is the same as sending cash — once you send it, you have no way to get it back.  Some legitimate landlords may require a little deposit is paid to allow you to view the house on your own, without their agent present.  This is common, but it will come from a legitimate source, and payment is made through their website or over the phone or such. 

They want a security deposit or first month’s rent before you’ve met or signed a lease:  It’s never a good idea to send money to someone you’ve never met in person for an apartment you haven’t seen. If you can’t visit an apartment or house yourself, ask someone you trust to go and confirm that it’s for rent, and that it is what was advertised. In addition to setting up a meeting, do a search on the owner and listing. If you find the same ad listed under a different name, that’s a clue it may be a scam.

They say they’re out of the country. But they have a plan to get the keys into your hands. It might involve a lawyer or a friend or an “agent” working on their behalf.  Some scammers even create fake keys.  Don’t send money to them overseas. If you can’t meet in person, see the apartment, or sign a lease before you pay, keep looking.

How to Report Scams

If you find yourself the target of a rental scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and to the FTC. Contact the website where the ad was posted, too.  Please also let us know if it is one of our properties.

This article was previously available as "Rental Listings May be Red Herrings."