A warning about some very convincing ads on Craigslist you definitely want to avoid.
They’re posted by thieves who are posing as landlords looking to sell or rent homes.
In one Midtown neighborhood a four bedroom house was posted on Craigslist.
However, there were two ads for the same house, one was a scam and nearly cost a woman $500.
On Craigslist there are homes for rent everyday. You’ll find dozens of new listings but behind some of the ads are crooks that are ready to take your money.
One four bedroom house posted for $500 a month. It’s nearly identical to a real ad, but for a different price.
In just 48 hours, FOX23 News found at least seven examples and every one had the same clues.
All of them want you to wire money, all claim they are out of the country, most commonly doing missionary work.
FOX23 News knocked on doors of posted ads and found many had for sale signs in the yard with a legitimate realtor.
Leasing agents are aware of the scam and say renters need to do their homework first.
One home listed in Broken Arrow didn’t have a sign out of front. The neighbor said it was being rented and the owners were from the area.
Scammers will lure people in by using real homes for rent or sale and the names of the real owners such as a home in Broken Arrow listed in a scammer's ad.
"Those people right there really do own it,” said the neighbor.
He also knows the fake rental price is way too low. The scammer was asking for $750 and that included utilities paid.
"I know it was for over a thousand,” said the neighbor.
Like the old adage says if the price is too good to be true it’s a probably a scam.
The best way to protect yourself when renting a home:
- Never wire money
- Check for sentence structure in the responding e-mails
- Use an independent renting website such as realtor.com
If you spot a scam on Craigslist or suspect it could be one, you can flag the ad and it will be checked out and if necessary it will be taken down.
