Unbelievable, but true! A friend’s daughter was trying to rent an apartment in DC. She answered several craigslist ads and found some that seemed too good to be true. THEY WEREN’T TRUE! People were advertising great deals, below market rentals, free this and free that, if only she would send them money, and she would get the key and the lease soon after. In each case, it was a lie and a scam! Here are some “do”s and “don’t”s before you try to rent a place. Short moral of the story: Use a professional real estate person!
- Deal locally with people you can personally meet.
- Check property records to validate who owns it.
- Wire funds ONLY if absolutely sure the recipient is the owner or a bona fide real estate agency.
- See the property before making any payment.
- Beware if the asking price is way below market value.
- Do not provide any personal financial information to anyone except a validated landlord or a licensed professional brokering the rental.
- Use a licensed real estate professional to represent you, and you won’t have to be concerned about the other warnings.
Here are two other recent examples of actual craigslist rental scams:
- http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/duxbury-woman-duped-by-craigslist-scam-20120101
- http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/craigslist-scam-lists-womans-home-for-rent-20110326
Avoid expensive and needless pitfalls. Engage a licensed rental agent to help you find the right apartment or home. Contact Think Real Estate Services to talk with a professional about rentals in the Greater Boston area: 617-244-2755 or email us.
