If you’re looking to rent a home, watch out for this scam.
Unfortunately, scams are more common than ever in our market. We just saw one involving one of our listings, so we wanted to take the time to explain what this scam is and how you can avoid it.
We got a call from a prospective renter who was interested in a pending listing of ours. They said they spoke with the owner, who explained they were going to take the house off the market and rent it out instead. Basically, we told the caller to run for the hills because absolutely none of this was true.
What’s happening is that scammers are finding pending listings and then listing them as rental properties on sites like Craigslist. Because things are so competitive among buyers and renters alike, people call the scammers. They’re then asked to pay the first month’s rent and security deposit, which the scammer takes and then disappears. The would-be renter shows up to the house, can’t find a key, and gets to explain a difficult situation to some very confused homeowners.
To avoid falling for a scam like this, you need to see the property with the owner or their property management company before wiring any money. Additionally, you can call us—we’ll find out if the person is really who they say they are. These safeguards will help you be sure that you’re not being taken advantage of by a scammer.
As a final note, we recently opened a new property management company: Reliant Leasing and Property Management Group. We help landlords throughout the area manage their properties, find tenants, and much more. Our ultimate goal is to provide the same level of service we’re known for at a competitive, affordable rate.
If you have any questions or would like more information about anything we discussed today, feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
