Scam Artists are targeting Renters
If it sounds too good to be true...it is! If you're looking for a rental, there's scams going on that you should know about. They are advertising on Craigslist and real estate sites, pretending to be the owner of the property. Do not give your information over the phone and do not send money before confirming that it's a legit rental. What they do is take an existing ad and somehow (to be honest I'm not exactly sure how they do it...my mind doesn't work that way) create an ad that looks current.
I had a client ask me to check a current listing out that was listed way under market value. It wasn't on the multiple listing service and when I researched further, I saw the same home was listed on Zillow last year for twice as much as what the person was asking for.
So please, please contact your realtor to check out a rental you're considering. It's a shame that so many people have been cheated out of hard-earned money and given information to someone who will use it illegally.
Nita McClellan, Realtor SFR CNE
Momentum Realty
