One of the more popular real estate scams is for a scammer to post a “for sale” listing on Craigslist as a rental. Many times the scammer will use photos from the real estate agent’s website.
The potential tenant asks about the rental and the scammer asks for a deposit or first and last months rent via Western Union or with a prepaid card.
A good indication that an ad may be a scam is the rental is listed well below other rents in the area. Another indicator is when the property is listed as for “sale by owner” with nothing but an email address.
- https://www.fraudguides.com/internet/craigslist/apartment-rental-scams/
- A 2018 survey by Apartment List.com found that “An estimated 43.1 percent of renters have encountered a listing they suspected was fraudulent, and 5.2 million U.S. renters have lost money from rental fraud.“
Some other ways to recognize a Craigslist real estate scam:
- The listing on Craigslist has no photos.
- No rental application.
- They ask for your personal information. Never give personal information upfront.
- They offer no security deposit, a month free, etc.
- Credit check before seeing the property.
- The email address or domain name looks fishy.
- Beautiful property listed or for rent for much less than normal.
- They won’t show you the inside of the house.
- Owner is out of town or the country.
- Never wire money or hand over cash.
Great tips from Craigslist: https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
Anyone suspecting a post is part of a real estate scam can contact Craigslist directly or notify the US Federal Internet Fraud Complaint Center. If you have been defrauded by someone via a Craigslist scam you are encouraged to contact your local police department.