Scammed Again!
Think Craig’s list is a nice online tool for finding a network of online communities, and posting free online classified advertisements? I beg you to think twice before trusting what you see on Craig’s List. We have been hit by the Craig’s List scam again! (See archived post from March 2009)
This latest scam is essentially the same scam that continues to infest this online community. Here is what is happening. A person or group of people, are posting advertisements for rental housing. Once the potential tenants make contact with the scammers, they are instructed to mail a cashier’s check as security deposit, to a location outside the Country. Prospective tenants are told that once the money is received, the keys to the house will be mailed to them. Impossible…as these scammers do not own the home and do not have authority to rent or advertise the home for rent. In fact, the houses that are being posted for rent are actually offered for sale, and listed with a local broker. In our situation the scammer took information about this property directly from the Multiple Listing Service, stole the photos and written description and created and set up an email account using the Listing Agents full name as part of the email address.
There are several things wrong with this. First of all the individual whose home is for sale, has not authorized this false posting. The scammers are stealing copyrighted material including the photographs and written property description. They are also putting the home owner in a dangerous situation, with the potential for any number of predatory crimes, with the most obvious intent to con innocent individuals out of money, security and a place to call home.
Unfortunately, Craig’s List is a magnet for predators. Just Google “scams on Craig’s list” and see all the results. It’s an epidemic across the globe. As home buyers, sellers, or renters, heed caution when utilizing sites such as this. And make sure you do not try to navigate the stormy waters of real estate with out a professional Realtor by your side.