There's a new scam going around in your area so watch out for these red flags
Nobody likes a scammer. And in today's world where the economy is competitive and some people would rather cheat their way through life than earn an honest living, there's no shortage of scammers going around trying to trick people out of their hard-earned cash.
There's a new scam going around in Fellsmere, Florida that police are calling the House for Rent scam.
The scam targets would-be renters seeking a new place to live and it's one of the classic rental scams. It's where the scammer pretends to be a landlord looking to rent a property out to someone. They post photos and descriptions online on various sites, like Craigslist, that all make it look like a legitimate rental listing.
The newest iteration that successfully scammed multiple people in the city offered a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage home for rent at 136 N. Orange Street in Fellsmere. The home was advertised as having a shaded lot and wood paneling, a dream place to rent for many searching tenants looking for a new home.
Going by the name Rosalie Coffee, the scammer requires a deposit to start the rental process like most places do. However, they proceeded to tell their victims that they were out of town and that the renters would need to send the deposit through Zelle or Apple Pay. It's unknown how many people the ad targeted specifically, but we know at least two people ended up paying a substantial deposit on the property.
It was then that the scammer ghosted them.
That's how these scams always work. The scammer applies pressure to the rented and offers a property for an affordable price to entice the renter to take the plunge and send the cash for the deposit. The apartments or homes for rent are usually in nice areas (which raises the price of the deposit and makes the victim feel like they're getting a great deal on a beautiful place). It feels like you're getting a steal but in the end, it's the scammer who's getting the steal. As soon as the money is sent, the scammer disappears and isn't heard from again.
In the worst of cases, scammers can target and successfully defraud multiple people in a daisy-chain con job, before getting away clean (unless they're caught). I've seen a few friends fall victim to this particular scam and it's not pretty, so watch out. Here are some red flags to look out for so you don't become the next victim:
- Something seems off. They'll tell you that you can drive to the building and check it out from the outside, but for some odd reason, you can't go in. This is because it's not their property to rent and they likely stole the pictures from the internet.
- They'll only use text-based communications. Real renters will be more than willing to talk on the phone at reasonable hours of the day and will eventually want to meet you to make sure you're a good fit for their property. Fake renters are never available to show their faces or let you hear their voices.
- They'll pressure you once contact is made. That pressure can be the claim that the property won't last long, which will create a sense of urgency, or it could be overt pressure like them telling you that you need to send them the money quickly or you're just wasting their time.
- They try to play on emotions like guilt, fear, and desire to make you act without thinking.
- The rental price is usually a steal. If the area typically rents for $1,200, the listing might be for $800 a month to entice you and make you think you're getting a deal too good to pass up.
- This one's the biggest. They'll always ask you to send money online, either via Zelle, Apple Pay, or Cash App, or they'll ask you to wire money to them before you've met with them and seen the property. They might even ask for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies because they're untraceable.
- They're usually far away with some dramatic story. Whether they had to take their pet cat across the ocean to receive the best treatment in Uganda or they suddenly got called to military service in Japan, they'll usually tell you they're far away and that's why you need to send the money online.
In closing, be careful out there. It's open season for scammers and observing these red flags can keep you from being out a few thousand dollars.