Feb
21
2009
Beware of Craigslist Scams Advertizing Property for Rent
By Charles TurnerI just received and email suggesting that the Craigslist posting advertising our property for rent is a scam. They are right. There is an individual using the email address solomonandy18@(deleted).com as their reply. A Google search of the email address reveals two other Craigslist ads with the same reply email (one in Stockton and the other in Kansas City). It’s not clear how the scam works but I have heard that similar postings get the victim to send a deposit to hold the house.
***added at 8PM: received a phone call from someone that had followed up with the ad, “We are missionaries living in England. Mail $650 and we will send you the keys.”
I’m in the process of relocating to Portland from out of state and have been surprised at the large amount of scam posts in the rentals section.
I’d say 2 out of 4 ads that I contact reply with ‘strange’ circumstances that I find to be warning signs. This includes being very generous about setting up leasing terms, or asking for a ‘drive by’ to see the place but being unavailable to do a walk thru. This also includes having some details but being vague when asked for more specifics, and/or claims that they are out of town on business.
It’s harder for us to find a place since we don’t already live nearby but I maybe that works to our benefit as we’re asking very detailed questions. The bottom line for us to always ask for proof of ownership/management in some form or fashion, and even do a little checkup online to see if the person is living and working in the area.
Sales information is so prevalent online now (ie: Trulia.com), so I imagine that makes it an easy target for scammers to copy house details and photos of a home and then post as a rental add.
I also find that Portland rental ads are flooded with Lease to Own. I’ve not come across this before. Is this common for Oregon, or did this just take off in the last year since the market has dropped?
Craigslist notified me that the ad has been removed. Portlandmaps.com lists the owner’s name under the “Assessor” tab (it is public record). It might work as an additional source of verifying a postings legitimacy.
I think the market has increased the popularity of lease options.
Its the same with moving company i work with realtors on a daily basis and i cant believe how many scammers are out there they try to team up and scam moving company’s and realtors at the same time the scammer will call and say the realtor is going to pay for the move and just move there stuff to storage. when we showed up to the storage unit i received a call from my dispatch saying not to unload till we receive payment because the realtor that they gave us info on was out of state and had no idea what was happening.the scammers had come from craigslist.
Most buyer due diligence time-frames begin with bank approval. Whereas a traditional sale the inspection period begins with a buyer/seller mutually accepted offer. There is little point in a buyer making expenditures for inspections if the house isn’t theirs if they want it. In most cases it is just an as-is inspection proving what needs to be done but there are instances where the bank will approve things to make the deal go through. Each situation is unique.