Avoiding rental scams through Craigslist

Many people get scammed on rental properties through social media quite often.

Recently there has been a rise in Craigslist rental scams taking place everywhere.

Authorities warn the names may change, but the tactics always stay the same.

The Michigan City Police Department advises to always be on the lookout for these Craigslist and social media scams:

• “The email addresses they use usually are from yahoo, hotmail and gmail, and they also post ads under anonymous craigslist addresses. They frequently change their aliases.
• The deal sounds too good to be true. Scammers will often list a rental for a very low price to lure in victims.
• They use photos stolen from other property advertisements or from home furnishing catalogues or hotel websites.
• They use fake names, often stolen from Facebook profiles or networking sites. Often they assume the identities of previous victims.
• What they all have in common is that sooner or later you get a request to transfer funds via Western Union, Moneygram or Green Dot Card.
• Always check bbb.org to see if the “company” has any complaints.
• See the home or apartment first and verify that the person is truly an owner or representative.”

If you ever feel you have been scammed or someone is attempting to cheat you please contact Sgt. Chris Yagelski at 873-1461 ext. #1020 or email [email protected]