(WCMH) — Rent prices are up, so it’s no surprise that many renters are looking for a good deal on rental homes. But, scammers are finding ways to trick you into sending cash for homes that aren’t even available for rent.
Michele Parks walked up to a just-renovated ranch home in her neighborhood, that she says was her dream home.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, standing on the street in front of it. “I have two grandkids who would have loved it.”
But she had no idea she was about to fall victim to the rental scam.
“I looked on Craigslist, and I found this rental house for $1,000 a month,” she said. “Nothing is $1,000 a month.”
How the scam works:
Parks texted the landlord, and within minutes the classic rental scam began luring her in.
The “landlord” gave her the address and told her to drive by and take a look around it. So Parks did that, and as soon as she pulled up to the house and saw it all freshly painted and landscaped, she knew it had been what she was waiting for.
She wasn’t bothered by the realtor sign out front, figuring the landlord either wanted to sell it or rent it.
“I assume he had it on the market for so long, that he now wanted to rent it,” she said.
The landlord said he was out of town but would send her a key after she wired a $1,000 deposit. So she sent the money, via a money transfer app, but never heard from him again. It was all a scam.
What about the listing with a full description, and beautiful interior photos? All…
