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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
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KGEE
June 12, 2019
Check the owner information at the County Assessor office. That will tell you who the owner is & contact address.It won't verify a management company if it's under contract, but at least you'll know if a individual offering the property is legit.
J*dubya
June 23, 2019
Another red flag is showing "outside only"photos of the property or photos that look like they're taken from windows. Also,when you ask to visit a property and they tell you they'll send you the keys once you send the money.
ResearchLilly
July 17, 2019
Recently I was looking to rent a furnished apartment in Denver, CO. I at first used Craigs List, beware!!! Most of these are scams and if you do your research you can find the real listing (if it exists) on the true sight. The scammers are pushy, out of the state and cannot meet with you. Some scammers on there even take up the identity of a REAL Real Estate agent. Most scammers will have 2 to 3 people working on the scam and provide all kinds of email addresses. Background searches do provide histories. Most people that actually have a place to rent will call you and want to know who they are renting too.
RozaPepaply
July 27, 2019
Great post!
GBA3
January 10, 2020
I'm looking for a rental home and a couple times so far I thought I had found something on Craigslist. So I sent a message through Craigslist's reply feature requesting more info, pics, etc and someone would get back to me and ask me if I could text or call them but would not give me any of the information that I had asked.... ARE THOSE SCAMS?? I didn't responded any of those people because I thought that they were scammers... Didn't make any sense to me that they didn't answer any question that I had asked but wanted my information. Was I right to not respond to those emails? Has anybody else had this happen to them?
I recently found a property for rent. I immediately went to the Auditor's web page. The e-mail address, and his name were nowhere on the Auditor's webpage as the owner. I told him this, he went on to tell me that he assured me that the photos I saw on the website were the same photos, and that I had nothing to worry about. He even encouraged me to go view the property from the outside because there was no one to show me the property, and that he was away on the "base". I had him send me the rental application. He sent it, and the app itself was shady looking. I then contacted a leasing company, and they were just as shady. Would not call me back. They took my call, but would not return my call for me to meet with an agent to schedule a viewing. I was pretty bummed. I loved the house, it was in my budget, and perfect for my family. But hey...I'd rather be safe than sorry.
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Beautymom386
January 28, 2021
Here is a new one, be very careful for emails when the owner will claim it was for sale but changed their mind so disregard the realtor sign or that they are away on a missionary to help covid affected areas. What I did was copy and paste the address in google and 9 out of 10 times the house on zillow for sale. I contacted the realtor agent and asked about it being for rent and they confirmed it was not. The amount the original post was asking for was lower than zillows "rent estimate" and the rent website only had a one or 2 pics. Hope this helps.
lily89
July 22, 2021
i’ve already rented this house and put a deposit down and i feel like it’s weird how it’s still up on a website
Becca
July 30, 2021
In reply to i’ve already rented this by lily89
this house is listed on face book marketplace and they are trying to rent it with application fees and deposites. The man says his name is Marcus and claims to be the owner. He wants the funds to be sent by zelle. He is a scammer.
Dropt4
September 13, 2021
In reply to i’ve already rented this by lily89
Hey lily89, did you rent this house through First key? And do you have a contract with them and a move in date? I know a person that I think actually got scammed on this house that is living there now, but the company says that they haven't rented it to anyone.
KMAC7
August 24, 2021
BEWARE of Craigslist and some rental.com websites. LOOK AT THE APPLICATION, if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. I went to look at a rental home and told the "person" who was texting me that a different realtor's information was in the yard, they told me that it was their OLD realtor and they took it over to do it themselves. I checked the "Been Verified" website for their name and information (including email adds) and found out they had threat levels for being a scammer previously. Its worth the $20 for a month to do your research on these people. Best of luck to everyone!
