How to avoid Outer Banks Long Term Rental Scams
The Internet has and continues to be an excellent tool for Landlords and Property Managers to market and lease our Residential Rental properties quickly. Unfortunately, many Property Managers and Landlords have fallen prey to rental scams. Prospective tenants have told us that in the past they have found many great rental homes, and signed leases one day, only to find out that they have been scammed. You can find rental scams everywhere (Craigslist, Zillow, and more), and many people are duped every single day out of hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars. There are cases where the person might not actually be a scammer, but you should be on high alert if you decide to continue through with a potential rental that you are unsure about.
In researching this topic, some of the scams that anyone may come across include:
- Craigslist rental scams
- Craigslist apartment scams
- Craigslist housing scams
- Rent31 scam
- Lisarooms scam
- My3rentals scam
One of the many Craigslist rental scams we have been hearing about is when a scammer seems legitimate and even shows or tells you specifics about the home. You might believe they are the Landlord or Property Manager since they know so much about the property but that isn’t always the case. These scammers high jack information from the website and other search engines which is one reason why OBX Housing does not publish Virtual Tours of our available homes because they can be
copied and reused by scammers pretending to be the Landlord or Property Manager.
Another Craigslist scam we found information about online is when a renter moves into a home, pays the deposit, rent, etc., only to find out weeks or months later that the actual owner is at their door. The owner might have been let the home sit vacant while trying to sell it, and thieves noticed their absence only to take advantage of the situation. This can be bad as you will have to vacate immediately, and you will be out of money, such as the refundable deposit you may have given to the scammer.
Rental search tip: Always make sure the person renting out the home is the Landlord or Property Manager. You can usually do a simple search on who owns the property by looking up County records. You also may be able to call the Property Manager and ask for information about the property and confirm it is available for rent.
How to avoid Outer Banks Long Term Rental Scams
A rental that seems too good to be true is often one of the many Craigslist rental scams. This is how some rental scammers try to lure you in. They will create a listing, make
the rental sound amazing, offer it at a very low price, not require money upfront, and so on.
This is a clue that you might be the victim of a Craigslist scam. If the Landlord or Property Manager makes it too easy for you to live in their rental, then you need to be very careful. Scammers are often hoping that someone will be caught up in a “great deal” and come running to them with cash.
Rental search tip: Always do your research before you give anyone money. You should check other listings in the area to see if the rental is comparable and you should also see if the place is available for rent. In most cases, it is not. A scammer wants your information or money before you view the home.
If you are asked to fill out a rental application before you view a home, then you might be in the middle of one of the many Craigslist rental scams. The scammer is hoping that you will give them personal information, such as your bank account number, social security number, or something else. They will then disappear once they receive all this information. This is a bad situation because you basically just gave your identity away.
Also, if you are asked to give money before you can view a home, then something is not right. This is most definitely a scam and you should avoid it. You should never
have to pay money to just view a home.
Rental search tip: You should always do your research, view the home, and more before you give out any extremely personal information. Occasionally, you may
have to give your ID to the landlord, but other than that they should not need anything from you just to show you the rental property.
The Landlord’s or Property Manager’s email has been compromised –Big Craigslist housing scams! One scary Craigslist rental scam we recently heard about is when all the information in a rental listing is correct. The home is for rent, the e-mail and phone number are real, and more. However, when you e-mail the Landlord or Property Manager you believe you are talking to them. It turns out that you are talking to someone who hacked into their e-mail. This can be a scary Craigslist scam as it can be hard to detect.
How to avoid Outer Banks Long Term Rental Scams
Rental search tip: Even though this Craigslist rental scam seems difficult, it can be easy to overcome. You should contact the Landlord or Property Manager via the
phone number that is listed on the real listing and talk to a real person. Then, you should verify everything that was discussed in the e-mails. Most of the time, Landlords or Property Managers have no idea that their e-mail address was even hacked.
There are many different things to be aware of when looking for a rental online. Here are some general tips before falling for Craigslist housing scams or Craigslist apartment scams:
- Always make sure the person showing the home is the Landlord or Property
Manager. - If a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Be careful with your personal information, so that you are not the victim of
identity theft. - If anyone ever asks you to wire money, you should not. Most scammers will
ask for money to be wired and this should be your first red flag that something
is not right. Keep in mind that if you wire money, you CANNOT get it back. Too
many people think you can get wired money back. - Does the listing and/or e-mail communication with the “landlord” and “property
manager” have many misspellings? Does the e-mail refer to you as Sir or
Madam? Do they say they are out of the country and cannot show you the
home until you pay? Do they claim to be a missionary or a reverend? If any of
these are true, then this is usually the sign of a scammer. - Always trust your gut instinct as there are always other places to rent in the
world.