Fake Rental Listings: How To Protect Yourself

Phantom landlords convince unsuspecting victims to pay them for false rentals.

[@manixx9122]

So it's to big for local law enforcement and to small for federal..... sounds like a perfect loophole

[@gillescordier8033]

Patty Tanniger The Caddy Manager That's why it's such a popular fraudulant scam gig, it's easy to get away with it it seems...

[@barbarat5729]

Too big and too small.

[@billnythehighestguy690]

"Too" are you David? Cuz you can't spell

[@eamoncameryncollier1584]

I had one of these guys on the phone stringing him along and I notified the police I was having this ongoing conversation and they couldn't care less.

[@petermoyes8766]

i bought a truck and was selling my crown vic a scammer texted me that he would buy it for his mother in law ,its like the one she had ,,he was goona have it shipped blah blah blah ,,lies i played him him for days ,,the add i posted stated i was an older pensioner,,,,,uhmmmm,,,,,,next i get a letter from a e mail from a supposed hit man ,,hes got a $5000 contract ,its a long story ,,any way both scammers were arabs or whatever ,,,,he says he has been following me around ,and he sees i am a nice guy ,so just send $500 and he will not kill me ,,,lol i know its a scam ,,but hey threatning death is a very serius offence ..i call the cops ,i see the tanned cop pull up its summer i watched him car idleing and hes on the phone texting and shit ,,,for half an hour ,so he comes up i show him the email ,,and he laughes ,,its a scam ,,dont worry about it ? time to give this tanned cop some grief ,,i go 1975 on his ass ,,dont worry about it ? fuc you do your job and start to worry about it ,what if i was a pensioner living alone and scared shitless and send money ,,,i said your gonna send this email to your boss ,,and after that you can get back in your air condition 4x4 and text your useless ass off ,and i slammed the door .,,they watch for vunerable people like selling the dead wifes car ,,or some body witnessed the terror attack in toronto ,then get a death threat from these blood suckers ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,peace

[@robh1908]

Renting a house for $20,000 a week should be criminal too,.

[@catmagic2226]

yeah...martha's vineyard is where I was born & raised...it's outrageously expensive can't go home.

[@drewtorre7717]

Corrupt Crooked Ovjo jviovjvjvjvojvjvojvojvojovjvojovjvojvvojvjvjvjvjvbakcjjojjc

[@Gun5hip]

That was for a down payment on a house for "sale" a lot of ppl fell for the same house.

[@901cutie2]

I feel the same way....u can buy a house for that much ...

[@WreathStorm]

@Corrupt Crooked You don't need to be poor to not be able or willing to spend that much a week for vacation. It's much cheaper and more enjoyable to just stay a week at a luxury hotel.

[@ralphbernhard1757]

Old rule of thumb...if it sounds too good to be true, it isn't true...

[@vempriex]

Indeed.

[@4cClubT]

When a house 4rent is 750. In a neighborhood where they start at double that,yea scam- but I scammed them back for the time I put in

[@4cClubT]

Rule a thumb,I told them I need it immediately and will send a years rent in advance,then tellum they can go down on a rhino

[@Melisblessed]

Exactly. I’ve seen this too much when I was looking for a place.

[@nealanpaulaking9708]

That's what my mom used to say.

[@jessielynch7493]

I was almost scammed as soon as he said to pay before we met or I would lose the house and to pay via Western Union I was out of there!

[@freddyaltina2737]

Jessie Lynch Same!

[@TrueNorth1987]

Jessie Lynch yeah me too! Just last week

[@logannaslund1057]

Guidedlights 333 crazy

[@ibenfarting3365]

Zelle is another way for scammers to get money

[@TheseEyesSeeDarknessClearly]

@Red Divinity had to bring politics into it..

[@lyndsie.makenna]

I actually found my apartment on Craigslist, but I went through so many scams. The classic "I am living out of state right now and can send you the keys as soon as you send me the rent money" I refuse to give money to anybody I don't meet in person, even at that you still have to be careful. If you work hard for your money, you should be careful where it goes.

[@Greatlakeskyle.]

Did they really just give money to a scammer to prove a point?

[@imacomputer101]

I think so...

[@MissLesy]

No ya know how those cop shows go under cover on TV but somehow get the $$$ back like the catch the criminal so that's how they get the $$

[@ebonyeyed08ti]

Keegz same thing I was thinking

[@ksd9889]

Keegz I know hey. So David wins in the end. Lol

[@MsK-xm7vw]

Exactly what I thought...good to know there are no charities feeding hungry children or housing the sick & old that could use that money. Gee, can't figure out why people are getting rid of cable! This is one show I won't mind missing on moralistic grounds.

[@ten_tego_teges]

If you send 2 grand without tracking for an ad from Craigslist, then it's natural selection at this point.

[@truthof7382]

Olaf Sikorski Thank you.

[@katharineforsyth1870]

Darwin award

[@meganl41]

In the mcminnville cases, the guy showed them the house in person... it was under renovation, and due to be completed in a couple weeks. He was a real guy, with rental applications. The problem only arose when they were supposed to get the keys the day of or day before move in...

[@suzyrottencrotch5132]

Paypal

[@hzdg9487]

Megan L same happen to week 2 days ago been talking w guy who went by “ Patrick Gallo” I toured the house he had the keys in the back and which I was supposed to get the code for the day I moved in. He sent me the applications I filled them out then he sent me the rental agreement he did everything but give me the keys. Now I’m out $2,300

[@waldofuzzbucket7376]

I looked at a rental in Bakersfield from a Craig's List ad and knew almost immediately it was a scam. They said they would mail me the key after I put down $1200 payment and the owner was a doctor living out of the country who just wanted to rent their house for a few years. I went to the house and it was for sale - not for rent. I called the local realtor and they were shocked that this was being done. I can see how this could happen since a lot of AirBNB postings are done on the Internet. BEWARE!

[@teliayoung3547]

OMG!!!! THIS HOUSE WAS ON AIRBNB! Even I looked at it!

[@birdeyes200]

Telia Young plot-twist, homeowner is the scammer. 😂

[@Cel2333]

@@birdeyes200 lmao

[@Khaatumo411]

birdie that is what I thought too lol I mean come on. His house door was unlocked

[@ohdahlia5070]

People do this with event tickets as well.. They'll sell you a real ticket with legitimate seats . Then the day of the event ..they'll claim they lost their ticket. So the staff have to void your ticket and the scamer gets a new one. They keep your money and your stuck outside the event you planned to go. Never buy tickets on craigslist!!! =)

[@childofthemosthighyah8145]

Craigslist? I don't trust anything on Craigslist.

[@cravinbob]

Now the world knows and scammers will all go away. Thank you for your announcement.

[@nicolebarnett8702]

There are many and most that are true to what is there but we have intuition for a reason and you should use it. Dont let the world scare you out of living. I dont mean you arent if not using CL 😏 I just mean in general. Take care

[@Reesicup]

I never have any trouble with Craigslist. You just have to recognize which postings you shouldn't even bother responding to.

[@themaker2475]

Yet there you are, surfing Craigslist, looking at the next thing you won’t trust.

[@jamesabarela]

RIGHT!!! Nothing good ever comes whenever you hear the words "Craigslist". I have personally never used It and I won't, bevause of this reason.

[@theboxer5]

Why the news lady give that scammer $1,850 for? Can't she said we meet you at the house with the cash to get the key?

[@ericp1139]

Exactly. She gave him a free $1,850 and she's like, "I sure showed him!"

[@cravinbob]

Idiot. It is how the news works and the money will be earned back in advertising revenue that makes $1850 look like chump change. The person got the money and split, there is your proof it is a scam.

[@dabomboo7o]

yup, way to further enable a criminal. stupid

[@jasonbooth639]

Moonwalker829 I know. Wow

[@freeminded2456]

That was the bagel budget

[@brianwilless1589]

Never pay upfront. Almost any house the owner of the house can be look up on line. Just type city treasurer or GIS and type in the address

[@gebusdatrapgod]

This happend to my buddy and his 3 roommates stayed at a house for 4 months then the owner came back from vacation All of them were pretty shocked

[@MiVidaBellisima]

Dummies that leave their doors unlocked

[@Chiefskeet]

Gebus Da Trap God 4 month vacation?

[@MrRapSick]

MiVidaBellisima and? you’re supposed to get the keys to that house

[@Scott-by9ks]

So this is a type of scam too. There are people that will break into house that are obviously vacant, change the locks to a digital lock and then rent it out on the internet. The real owners have no idea because to them it is an investment house or a vacation home they only use once or twice a year.

[@terryrussel3369]

@vilan sun It takes less than 10 minutes to go in threw a window opening, or just twist and break the door knob with vice grips, and install new door locks.

[@shanekasunich9756]

Wow why was his house unlocked

[@MrEazyE357]

Probably because it's Lake Tahoe and there's no crime. Plus he's rich and doesn't care.

[@MsMo81]

He is probably the one scamming the people

[@sabrelou1988]

@@MsMo81 lol

[@svenfigueroa312]

that_G_EvanP no, because he is stupid. Behaving like that is simply stupid. You ALWAYS lock your house, car, bags, everything. Period.

[@TheScramblerTV]

You'd be surprised, In some towns people are so friendly with their neighbors and crime rates are low enough for them to just not worry about leaving their door unlocked.

[@amazonrainforest4160]

I saw a townhome for rent so I contacted the owner and he said he’s in Thailand for a business trip and to send the money and he’ll mail the key. Yeah, No.

[@EddieDuranLLC]

I cant believe theres dumbasses thatfall for that. But there are

[@gracemensah2603]

Same exact story!

[@WelfareChrist]

This happened to me in Portland, OR. I was trying to find housing for a single mother, I was her social worker at the time. She kept insisting she had found this amazing house for only 800/month and it broke my heart to tell her its a scam because she would not believe me, she kept arguing with me because basically she really needed the house. Finally I got other state officials on the phone to confirm that the phone number the guy used was connected to known scammers in China (the guy who answered had a thick Chinese accent) who spoofed a local number. Also I found the house had just been put up on Zillow. Its not hard to figure out if you're being scammed you just need to know what to look for, but mostly like other people are saying here if its too good to be true or it looks like a great deal its almost definitely fake, people don't voluntarily take way less money than they could.

[@janetpattison8474]

Exactly. Low rents are SCAMS . BEWARE. It’s going on everywhere!

[@pinkivy93]

Unfortunately, this happens with regular house rentals as well! The person that I contacted allowed me to enter the home and look around. What got me was that the person immediately wanted me to leave a deposit on the home prior to even filling out any information. When I did not want to leave a deposit right then and there, the person got angry with me. I mean really angry. The rental rate was just too good to be true. Be careful out there.

[@celeryg66]

Craigslist should have been the first and only clue! Garbage site that needs to be policed a lot more than it is! I used to use it for jobs, but all the jobs are garbage too!

[@AuroraTheGoddess]

celeryg66 couple years back this happened to me. Except I saw them coming from a mile away figuratively speaking lol. I actually contacted the complex where the luxury condos were and went down there in person. I had let them know that someone has been trying to sell their condos as well as trying to rent them out. Keys would be sent after the deposit, first and last months rent were received. It was some scam story how they went on a mission to Africa with the church etc you get the point. My excuse i used with them was I was on housing and needed the landlord to fill out the paperwork in person then return it. Thats how i would catch them. Brillant plan lol.

[@catmagic2226]

craigslist now charges 5 bucks to list a service like cleaning, petsitting, etc! Don't charge the scammed charge ppl trying to make a living way to go craigslist.

[@tooblessedtobestressed1538]

Hi so what do u use to find jobs

[@tooblessedtobestressed1538]

What do u use tp find jobs

[@cravinbob]

Police it yourself! That is what being free and independent in this country means. Clamoring for regulation and controls because you are too dumb or lazy is what is driving us into a POLICE STATE. If you lose money to someone consider it tuition and lesson learned.

[@asialynn5536]

I've had quite a few people try to scam me recently looking to rent a house. The biggest red flag is the bad spelling, out of state phone numbers and their urgency to rent the place. The last one tried to get me to send money directly to a bank account for the deposit and would tell me where the key was in the unlocked house. Another one wanted me to mail a money order and they would mail me the key. They claimed to be huge christians and were going way overboard with the religious stuff all the way into the late hours of 1am. Another one I emailed late at night my number and they called almost immediately at a little past midnight which took me back that they would respond back by phone that late. I emailed because it was late and expected the same. Another one out of the blue texted me at almost 2am to call her please and I tried to chalk it up to maybe she texted the wrong person but the next day I mentioned nothing about the text and asked to come to the office I was told it was 6 hours away at the other end of the state and they do all their business without meeting and so I let her email me an application where too much personal info was asked like ss numbers, mothers maiden name and past addresses made me believe this was an identify thief trying to get personal info.

[@AmericanNinja85]

With how many scammers are on Craigslist I don't understand how the site hasn't been shutdown by now.

[@agrippa7712]

AmericanNinja85 I’ve actually had good luck on the site but you’re right if you’re talking about thousands of dollars

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

Do you know why craigslist has not shut down ..?? Because they are not doing anything wrong. They are just the host site. Your mentality is wrong and this is the problem with society ... Because of people like you making these stupid ignorant comments or assumptions, innocent web sites are shut down when they have NO control on who gets to post ... Once a criminal is caught on Craigslist ... Their email is removed from the system, all they have to do is create another email and keep posting fake adds ...

[@wisdomandlove1661]

@@ACommenterOnKZbin Wise comment.

[@ACommenterOnYouTube]

wisdom and love: Wise and TRUE ... Do you have any idea how many scams there are on eBay ..?? And this idiot American Ninja would probably want to shut down eBay also ... People today have no thinking or logic skills ..

[@mikeaskme3530]

@American Ninja85, you know sometimes you have to use common sense and do the thinking for yourself, you cant expect others to.

[@wizpro]

I almost got caught like this....but they were so dumb....the red flags were super obvious....lol....I'm like no....

[@rtrThanos]

I saw a nice house listed for rent, contacted the number, and was greeted by someone that had a thick African accent of some sort. He said he’ll send me the keys once he gets my first payment. I asked if he wanted to do a walkthrough first and he said no. I thought this was odd, plus the walkthrough was to protect me from being accused of damaging the home. I told him I’d call him right back, drove across town to the house, and saw a “for sale” sign in the front yard. How can it be for rent if it’s for sale? I called the real estate agent and she confirmed that it’s for sale by an American with no accent, and not for rent. It turns out that the scammers get pics and info from actual listings of homes for sale, use the pics and info to list the house for rent at prices so low it’s hard to pass up. This inspires people to jump on the offer ASAP before someone else gets it first. Always do your homework and be sure to do a walkthrough. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

[@jackanthony976]

Before Internet this rarely happened. Before Internet we looked at hard print newspaper ads for advertisements which can be tracked down more easily or we used rental agents with landline phones that could be tracked. Cell phones and Internet have created a whole new way for criminals to steal money from you.

[@danield3740]

Ok but also alot of great things came from the internet bitch

[@aadodge6522]

DanielD37 shutup bitch!

[@RK-ve4xp]

With every good comes corresponding bad.

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

People have been victims of conmen since the dawn of time! These modern scams are usually _less_ sophisticated than those of antiquity, and those who fall prey to them should be classed as having an intellectual disability, with some protections put in place for them (such as a proxy to deal with unknown telephone callers and dubious correspondence).

[@bottledgrunt6968]

Ok boomer

[@DubKc]

This happens a lot in silicon valley. They usually ask you to put down a deposit or pay for a credit check BEFORE seeing the house. Nice try!

[@puertoricanmama92]

Common sense people if it looks and sounds too good to be true it probably is.

[@envymonroe1930]

HOW WE KNOW THE OWNERS IS SETTING THIS UP THEM SELFS FOR MONEY???

[@MiVidaBellisima]

....he doesn't need it and he'd also be the first place they look. Way too obvious.

[@VRQuickDrawMcGraw]

I said the same shit lol I was joking of course

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

Okay, this is barely English, and virtually _incomprehensible!_ Let me attempt a translation: 'How do we know that the owners aren't behind this fraud?' [Is that what she's trying to say?!?] Also, you don't even require a 3-digit IQ to answer that. The _actual_ owners are _easily_ investigated, and would also _lose_ money renting for such relatively low pricing.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@7555mac]

The real scammer here is the home owner wanting 20k a week for rent.

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

No, the scam is on _all of us_ average people - that some individuals and/or families can painlessly cough up $20000 a week for a holiday home rental. The owner _asks_ for $20k/week because he _knows_ he can actually charge that much.

[@VRQuickDrawMcGraw]

Little do we know it's the owner of the cabin who's scamming people on his own house 😂😂😂 Dam that's smart 😂

[@babbscoady7622]

When apartment hunting a few years ago, a few things I had learned to do before actually taking an ad seriously is to watch the level of English used (highly common for there to be numerous errors) and google search images posted or sent. If the place has a previous history posted it often shows up during a search at which point I'll contact that information to find out more. I also found it useful to physically go to the address when possible to verify either with those living there and/or neighbours any information I can. I would have to say that 30% of ads I looked into were scams and notified police, the ad company its posted by and/or residents/owners of what was happening. I also copied and saved information regarding each ad to be passed on if needed. Good luck to those looking for places and stay safe.

[@Qrayon]

There's a sucker born every minute.

[@CradleEpiscopalian56]

P.T. Barnum quote. 😇

[@suzyrottencrotch5132]

Every second

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

@@suzyrottencrotch5132 Every _millisecond!_ (Which, of course, does _not_ include those who weren't born suckers, but came to be so due to acquired brain injuries, for example.)

[@pdxorbust27]

this just happened to me via Craigslist. One day ppl kept knocking on my door about the “amazing rental” with photos taken off of the original listing on an app.

[@Olivia-rm8oz]

NEVER send anyone money online for anything especially if you're going to rent a place and only talk to the person over the phone. CL is huge for that!

[@rustyscrapper]

When I was renting my first house I got a call from a girl who was moving from a different city and said she cant come until the move but wanted the house. I told her the only way I will hold the house until she arrives is if she E transfers the damage deposit up front. If someone else pays the damage deposit first, she wont get the house. 2 hours later $1300 is deposited in my bank account. I was like WOW really? She never even came to look at the house! It was all legit and she moved in and paid the rent every month until she moved out but like wow. So the next renter I did the same thing. E transfer the damage deposit. next day bang, money in my bank account. 2 for 2. Third renter was a guy. I said yep you can move in right away but you have to pay the damage deposit up front, and you get the keys when you pay the first month......he is at my door with a bunch of his buddies and "wants to talk" I said come right in! I show him the house, he is clearly suspicious. He comes back again with his girlfriend. I said so the damage depos.....he leaves. I call him and hes like dude there is no way on earth I am giving you any money up front. So I said ok, then what we do is you come over, sign the lease, take the lease, put it in your pocket, at that point you are legally protected by the lease. Then, deposit the money, and I give you the keys at the same time. Then, hand me back the lease, and I sign it. I literally had to put the keys on the table and take a step back while he hit send on his phone. I said ok its deposited. He grabs the keys. Hands back the lease. I sign it. His buddies are standing in the kitchen with all this going on. He has been an A+ renter ever since.

[@stallion122ify]

So you didn't do any background checks or anything?

[@loumason6120]

whats an A+ renter? a dumbass?

[@LibbyRal]

Even before the internet, a friend almost fell prey to someone 'renting' a home, at an unusually low price, to multiple people. They got a lock box key from an ex-realtor and were showing the home in person, to prospective tenants. He asked for a deposit, first and last and said the home would be available at the end of the month, two weeks from then. She told him she needed to r/s again to show her roommate. She drove around the block after viewing the home, parked out of sight, and watched as another viewer wrote the a check, then an hour later, another potential did the same thing.

[@thebrokegirl]

Craiglist cant be trusted when it involves money unless you'll meet the advertiser in person.

[@skapunkoialternativeliving6522]

The reason why do people get conned is because you pay these fools online right away before you even seen the building at least go to the building first and then give him the deposit once you check it out you don't pay for online first

[@allipeterson3876]

That flip phone though!

[@cynicalcindy1434]

If u havent noticed, many people with high profile jobs use flip phones because they're a lot harder to hack. No smart phone means your info is a lot safer.

[@dalewalker4614]

The flip phone also has a lot better sound than a dumb phone. I use mine as an alarm clock as I can't get a loud sound of of my dumbphone.

[@katharineforsyth1870]

@@cynicalcindy1434 not true. The reason people use flip phones when not wanting to be tracked is because they're prepaid burn phones, they're the cheapest phone you can buy due to just being a base model phone, only for calls and texting and nothing else. Nobody is going to use a $1,000 iPhone as a burn phone

[@sshibes5172]

this man literally whipped out a flip phone

[@beneiseoleinmheart5614]

How was the door open without the owners knowledge.🔐🚪????

[@rosemarysandiego1389]

He leaves the door open? This is suspicious.

[@cravinbob]

I know a baseball major league player and in the Hall of Fame as well, he does not lock his house.

[@MiVidaBellisima]

They're naive abd foolish, not a suspect.

[@garysmith5781]

Craigs list is bad news..

[@wisdomandlove1661]

there are scams everywhere not just on craigslist. Some big companies including universities and institutions legally scam people everyday.

[@MissLesy]

@@wisdomandlove1661 like the art institute

[@MartyM.]

I actually ran across myself. The guy was obviously in Pakistan or etc & using Google Voice to talk on the phone w/ a USA phone number. What they did was copy home listings from other sites and list them for rent on Zillow & Craigslist. These are homes that the real estate company has a digital keypad lock for and you can get codes to view the home. So the scammer would get the codes, but since there's a delay for them to get it there's back and forth with text messages or emails etc. I hate to think how many people get scammed this way. I could tell it was a scam right away. Also, the rent listed was cheaper than it should have been and the whole thing felt "weird." That should be a big red flag for people. I told the guy I knew he was a scammer and he just asked "how did you know?" I simply said it's obvious to me (didn't want to give him ideas).

[@jennifercastle1206]

I too was almost scammed outta $1800.00 on a rental scam. The woman I talked to had pics and info on the property, but wanted me to Western Union or Money Gram the money to them in New York. She explained her mother was injured in her Nursing Home there and they were visiting to find her a new home? She put her so called Nigerian speaking husband on the phone, and he was very demanding and it really made me realize this wasn't a real home owner! I then looked up the house on the auditors webpage and it listed the real owners and I looked up their phone number, and called them to see if they were aware of the people trying to rent their house. The owner had no clue about it and thanked me. They put up a notice on the house door saying it was a scam. And notified the police. There were several people who inquired about this exact property on fb, and glad everyone was aware it was a scam!!!

[@naughtyrascal7806]

A little research saves a lot of cash

[@selinaogorman8380]

I almost fell victim for this scam to I almost believe the men who was going to rent to me I contacted the agents of the home that was supposed to be rented out so yes definitely if there out of town or you can't see the property and they claim to have the keys definitely a red flag.😒

[@CradleEpiscopalian56]

I guy I dealt with was in Texas "on assignment". I was to send money first with the online application then the keys would be mailed to me at my house so I could inspect the property.

[@smalltiddypunkgf]

the hokey production mixed with the genuine usefulness of small local news investigations is my absolute favourite thing keep it up

[@skinsey85]

My dummy friend got scammed for a rental once. She corresponded with someone in another state and had only looked at the vacant house through the windows. She filled out some fake paperwork, sent them all her money and was informed she'd get the keys in the mail. A few weeks went by and she said she thought she'd been scammed. I told her, duh. If I'd known the whole story before, I'd have told her to stop. So stupid. If you're not meeting with an actual person, that's the first and biggest red flag.

[@jamesabarela]

Does anyone else find it suspicious that the lake tahoe homeowner just happen to show up to his vacation home that was conveniently unlocked, at the very moment people were milling around inside his house while he wasnt there? He could totally be the scammer playing dumb like he is an innocent in the whole scenario like the people who got scammed....think about it!!!! I wonder if....

[@babybaudo]

James Barela Lake Tahoe is a small town. People totally leave their doors unlocked.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

remember what grandma told you! "if it sounds too good to be rue...". never do it online. contact maybe, but never send money without meeting the landlord on the property and if he doesn't have the key...that's a sign

[@ernawiget868]

Matt Albrecht. HOW ABOUT CONTACTING A LEGIT REAL ESTATE AND TOWNSHIP, Etc

[@bethalbala8302]

I answered an ad like this but I knew something wasn’t right and went to the property. I met renters who had just moved in and the landlord wasn’t the person who had been emailing/texting me. Always be suspicious, they stole the rental pictures and made a duplicate ad.

[@cookiec1803]

Impossible to catch my ass!! if it were a FBI agnets house that was rented, you wouldn't be able to blink fast enough before they would have the scammer in cuffs!

[@thacandyhouse1783]

No one with that type of home would put it on Craigslist.

[@johnwonder8720]

One of my "theories" is that the FBI is strictly concerned with crimes against the rich. I say downsize the FBI and pay for ti by a special tax on income, including investment income, over a million dollars. Why should the working middle class pay for an agency that does nothing for us?

[@sararomero7090]

I saw a listing online for a beautiful 2 bed/2 bath for rent. They wanted $1000 a month and showed a beautifully renovated home with tile floors, a fireplace, in-unit washer/dryer, etc. It seemed pretty cheap, even a little too good to be true. It was listed on Zillow so I sent a message saying I was interested. A few hours later I received an e-mail. The man refused to speak on the phone or meet in person. He told me to "drive by and peek in the windows" if I wanted to see it and "ignore the for sale sign out front". He told me to send him first month, last month and an $800 deposit. I told him to f*** off and that he would be reported to law enforcement. No more e-mails after that. Watch out for fake listings!!!

[@maurirish1]

I saw a listing on craigslist a few weeks ago for a home for rent that seemed way to cheap, by just looking at the the home. I thought it was strange that only the outside of the home was displayed. I contacted the potential owner and was informed that he was out of the country and needed to rent it ASAP. He showed me a link to some religious group that he was out of the country for. I typed back that I would like to see it. He said he could not show it as he was out of the country. He sent me an application and wanted me to fill it out and send him the deposit and just first month rent. I wrote back that I was not about to put out my personal information and sending him money without meeting him and seeing the home. I never heard back from him!

[@ballsdanglin]

Uh, who pays without getting the keys to the house? And who leaves their home unlocked?

[@batheandrelaxinmyshit6344]

I am a lesbian

[@macxamc1508]

Well we give our money first n the key later bc we dont really have any scammers.

[@themattmoney]

Well normally you see a house, then you pay then they give you the key. Same with renting apartments. Some scammers actually have access to the house cause they broke in and changed the locks

[@horusheru8542]

The bastards almost got me... I got smart at the last minute!! 😄😄😄😄

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

I'd have to say that "almost" is _way too close!_ I recommend keeping a friend - who's _much_ smarter than you - around, to ensure that you remain free from these risks.

[@EddieDuranLLC]

@@anhedonianepiphany5588 yeah sounds like this guy is a dumbass

[@flash521]

Try contacting your State Attorney General about fraud; likely interstate fraud.

[@horusheru8542]

*The guy gave me a bogus apartment number and had pictures posted of the building but the apartment number didn't exist in that building.. The idiots that work in the building wouldn't even confirm that they had such an apartment number. I had to research it on my own.. So many scammers and fake airbnb websites.. Its pathetic.. These scammers need prison time.. Thieves!!!*

[@wanful50]

Maybe that is what happens when you are forced to provide too much personal information on Facebook, Google, etc., and other social media outlets. The renters would have had to prove more of their information to the perspective buyers rather than the opposite scenario when you are posing as a business. Just like sitting ducks :)

[@saloabad]

when something is to good to be true its because it is

[@BeatlesFanSonia]

Why would you send money to strangers?

[@leftmarginnotedpm7062]

Saw an ad for renting a house (not Craigslist), the price was comparable to others in the area (friend of mine and daughter rents their homes), did have some conversations via messenger to so called local number, went down to City Hall to check who owns it and it matched to info I was given. The clue - was told house was empty, could go by and look at the outside as I was suppose to get a tour a few days later. Drove by to find three cars in the driveway. Looked up the real owners (they weren't renting or selling) and gave them a heads up on what was going on. Yes, they appreciated it. It explained some of the calls and people floating about. Seems like if the property was ever listed for sale or at least the last four years, these thieves collect that info and pics to scam people.

[@BlackSlimShady]

So they made a deposit on a house, before actually viewing the house. Very smart.

[@garymcelhaney1560]

How is it so hard to catch the people responsible the money had to go somewhere just follow the money

[@amlsrh]

Another thing you have to worry about. I lost count of scam listings I had to report. They take homes that are actually for sale and then pretend to be the owner of that home to rent it out when in reality they are not the owners and are just trying to scam you.

[@ryokomoonbeam4624]

As soon as I saw the background with Agents of Shield, I had to snicker.

[@teddymarian9416]

Figured it out like Nancy Drew!

[@landlord5552]

David from Nigeria..ha..ha

[@Mateus.Matthew]

Or more likely India, as "Indian tech talent" are awarded the largest volume of visas now by large tech companies (due to the so-called talent shortage that local candidates cannot supposedly handle)

[@terminator3199]

That is as Police work. Catch scammers and give your money back ? NO ! Put you to jail for nothing ? YES

[@rebeccaramirez-]

Thank you!!!!!!! ABC! For this story!!!

[@Tackleqb]

why would you ever pay for a house without seeing it in person? wtf? these people deserved to get scammed for not doing

[@christinaheuer7169]

Tackleqb they’re idiots

[@dalewalker4614]

When you are going on vacation and rent a hotel to stay in, do you drive there first to see the hotel room in person? Didn't think so.

[@TheWolverineiscool]

worst part is that its actually almost impossible to find the real groups or persons responsible for this, just another sick and demented part of our system...the transaction can ofcourse be traced but the details provided for that transaction are all false like the deal itself

[@tyrese3745]

Even I wouldn't sink this low. Scraping is the epitome of crime.

[@Trid3nt861]

they need to trace where the phone call is coming from and personally confront the scammer in person and expose them for good.

[@kevinmalone3210]

I inquired about an RV sale on craigslist once. A really nice cab over that was under priced. I contacted the supposed owner, and she wanted me to send her payment via a payment system via Ebay, then she would drive the RV to my location. She even mentioned to me she was a single mom with a daughter, and even gave me the Vin # to the vehicle. I refused to send her any payment and said I would go to her location to conduct the sale. She refused, and after that, I never heard from her again.. There are even scams out there on the internet where someone will sell you a piece of the moon for $$.

[@mamad4562]

Earl Driskill SADLY this happened to us. Any way I could report this to my bank?! I’ve tried but in this case what’s done in done. Expensive lessons learned.

[@viciousyolk3929]

The real crime is the flip phones

[@justinoiler9749]

Justin Oiler - Jessica massey

[@RessurrectionGraves]

This doesn’t just happen with vacation rentals. People steal addresses from third party websites like Zillow and put a home for rent on Craig’s List. Be careful and NEVER send money. Make sure you go through a Real Estate Broker/Agent and that if you have not physically seen the house, you can be FaceTimed the entire experience.

[@veeelle2275]

This happened to me. I called the police, after I realized it was a scam but the woman who answered the line, the POLICE non-emergency line, basically asked me what I wanted the police to do about it. She said they wouldn't be interested. The police? Not interested in FRAUD? Hmmm.....who knew..... I thought it would be, y'know...... illegal......right up their alley. But nah......I was mistaken.

[@moonspellsdumb]

Craigslist how fucking dumb. I move people for a living and was moving a lady in a how she just bought and 4 college students showed up and said they are renting my customers new home for 1500 a month. The kids just went inside and started walking around and picking out their bedrooms. The customer was nice to they but me and my guys had to chase them out of the house and explained that they had been scammed. How fucking dumb do you have to be rent a home online from Craigslist.

[@CelesteKTheNewWaveRevue]

It wasn't Craig's List. It was Home Away.

[@foxinthetwilight4046]

I sincerely hope English is not your primary language. 😒

[@user-fw3sw7qx1u]

Celeste K doesn't make it any less true

[@sweetlover2010]

Some People Are Dumb to Pay Online. is not suppose money down b4 u see the Renthouse, what u have 2do is Goto the House first with the landlord or meet him der b4 you pay off,,,and sign a contract. make picture of the landlord and thats it,, Be Smart,

[@purpleraine2026]

This happened to us 8 years ago, he was very demanding and we couldn't even see the home first. A little suspicious to us! Shortly after it was on the news, glad we didn't lose money from this scam. So sad all the scammers out there. 😒

[@maziar58]

It did happened to me too in suburbs of Nashville 6 yrs ago For a gorgeous 3 br/2ba He even showed us the interior of the place! And the $1000 cash paid to the crook as the first month And giving us the keys on Monday when I did bring the other $1000… Monday he called sorry I'm out of town and will see us Tuesday no show again I called no luck by Thursday I notified the police Even found the actual owner name and phone number But received the same: nothing can be done Ever come up to any will let us know… Mr William and his black jaguar is the only thing I kept in my mind

[@emmiejean1]

I was scammed but got lucky with my persistence and long story short the guy is in jail after detective got a grand jury subpoena and I received a letter from DA. This world is turning into darkness.

[@adai703]

emmiejean1 Hi. I got scammed too. Just yesterday. Pls how did u go about it? Were u able to get the money back?

[@sockpuppetgranny9335]

I remember an ad for an amazing place for $400 month for a 4 bedroom in California. The ad was obviously a scam/fake. So I emailed the person posting the ad and I mean I emailed them CONSTANTLY! 😂😂 I told them to send me $1000 so that I could pay the deposit and move in fees. I asked them to mail me the key and once I lived there for 3 months, I'd start paying rent. I must've sent them 100 emails asking when I could move in & begging them for money. Small thing, yes but I know I annoyed the hell out of them. Before you know it, that fake ad disappeared. #petty #sowhat 😂😂

[@tooblessedtobestressed1538]

I rented a house from a man off craiglist and the man was peeping tom and he steals my food and search my room when i was not home. But i know karma will get his ass.

[@truthhurts3524]

I was hoping to hear at the end that the people that actually owned the houses in the video, allowed the family’s to stay there.

[@robertbissonnette9023]

I found a few of them on Craigslist lucky i know some of the owner's of the property's

[@darwincharlotin9770]

Really Nigerian that's offencive

[@wilclark4832]

and facts

[@ronnyfilco5647]

People still fall for this scam everyday and it amazes me that the price doesn't tip them off immediately. We still have these ads all over locally (NYS)

[@jeffreydaniels7519]

I nearly fell for that from a house in Gilbert, AZ. I got a clue that it was a scam when the so-called owner wanted the deposit sent to him "Site in-seen." And he never showed up at the house to look at it. If it sounds to good to be true it usually is. The thing was, the rental listing was actually on Zillow. So initially I thought it must be legit.

[@jimmyjon6349]

so this is GOOD INFORMATION FOR someone wants to scam someone. / very nice

[@fuzzymohawk478]

The owner of the Tahoe is in on the scam

[@agrippa7712]

fuzzy mohawk image

[@trinashiree4015]

I agree

[@2TMarie]

If it's too good to be true, it usually is! Best to do your own "sleuthing" before you fall into a trap!

[@njfunfriendly8359]

Damn! People can get shot like this in someone else's home. Dangerous.

[@waaazupd1948]

If they speak very bad english, its a scam most likely, i say our govt should cut off all financial help to nigeria until they solve this problem.

[@torig.5864]

waaazup D that's like saying dont allow Indians over here until we stop them from posing as IRS scammers

[@waaazupd1948]

@@torig.5864 anytime anyone with a bad english accent calls my number n they ask who do they have the pleasure of speaking with? I tell them "Deeez Nutz" lmao

[@dalewalker4614]

waaazup D You seem to have all the answers, so tell us how "they" (Nigeria) could possibly stop the Nigerian criminals from running the ads and making the calls?

[@williewillaims9069]

There is your problem right there see those two guys on the wall at 7:48

[@ivedoneitall]

Same happened to me, but before I paid any money, I asked the neighbor and they said old lady out of town. So no money lost.

[@dogdog5984]

We got scammed once too. My mother and father had their 13th anniversary together that day, they decided to bring me, my sister together to a fancy hotel Marina Bay Sands (Singapore). So, my mother searched on an online store and founded cheap hotel tickets to there. She eventually bought them but...on the day of our trip... she called the hotel and asked if we had our hotel.. The hotel said no. We got scammed eventually and filed a police report. This happened few years back. The scammer has not been caught yet.