Charlotte Rental Scams

Have you ever been skeptical about a deal that seemed too good to be true? If you're looking to rent a home  your skepticism may be warranted. Scam artists have been taking advantage of potential tenants by placing false advertisements for rental homes.

How do they do it? The criminal (often someone from outside the country) will copy a legitimate posting from an internet site like Craigslist or HotPads.com. They'll significantly drop the price, listing a $2,800 rental home for only $1,100 for instance. The potential tenant will contact the "owner", who will respond that they are out of the country on a job assignment or missionary work. They then tell the prospective tenant to drive by the home and see if they like it. The "owner" says they will overnight the keys to the prospect, but only after they have wired the security deposit and the first month's rent to the criminal's bank.

The scam artists have even gone so far as to locate the names of the true owners of the properties and set up fake email addresses so the potential tenant thinks they're dealing with the true owner.

How does a potential tenant protect themselves from this type of scam? 1) Make sure you tour the inside of the home before you send any deposit or funds. 2) If there is a sign in the yard, call the number and talk to the person advertising the home for rent. 3) If you have to rent sight-unseen (you're moving from out of state for example), ensure you're dealing with a reputable property management company. Otherwise, there is no way for you to ensure you're actually sending money to the true owner of the home.

These criminals have tried this type of scam on several properties Alarca has had listed. Luckily, the prospective tenants have always driven by the home, seen our yard sign and called our office before sending any money. We have worked with CraigsList to ensure the fake postings have been removed and nobody has been scammed.

Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.