Do you shop for a house to buy or rent on Craigslist?
We get calls at least once a week from someone who has seen a property
listed for rent on Craigslist, drove by and saw our sign so picked up the phone to call.
That sounds good...people are calling about our listings, right? WRONG!
In almost all the Craigslist calls we get...the potential buyer/renter
is responding to a scam...not something we posted.
These scammers are bold. They make up stories about their situations
to evoke sympathy, make excuses for why they can't meet you,
and occasionally even go so far as to open e-mail accounts in the true owner's name.
How do they get the homeowners name? Public records at most town offices
are easily available and include the property owner's name.
Don't get me wrong...there are legitimate deals to be found on Craigs List.
I love searching the ads for a deal! There are also a lot of bogus ads
where someone copies photos and descriptions of a legitimate real estate listing
or rental advertisement and re posts it at their own.
Read about one instance in North Carolina here!
So how do you know if the post you are reading is a scam?
Here are our top clues that you are stepping into a scam:
- The person who posted the ad is unavailable to meet in person because they are "out of the country"
- They want money or would like to to sign something before you have seen the property
- The price is too good to be true or much lower than other comparable properties
- The want you to wire money or send cashiers checks or money orders
- The property being offered for rent is also posted for sale
- The offer to mail you the keys
- There is no phone number
If something doesn't seem quite right...it probably isn't.
To protect yourself and your hard earned money, start with these few tips.
- Never hand over money for something you haven't seen.
- Always meet face to face in a public place
- Do your homework - if there are 2 posts for the same property - contact both
- Never give out your personal or financial information to someone you don't know
for answers to all your real estate related questions!
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