Craigslist Rental Scam in Elk Grove

Craigslist Rental Scam in Elk Grove

Everyone browses Craigslist. Craigslist is widely used to find anything, from baby items to cars and houses. People trust this site as a local alternative to Ebay, but caution is still necessary when contracting items or services through this venue. The newest scam to hit Elk Grove, is the home rental scam. The culprits are rings of scam artists in South Africa and Nigeria. They use Craigslist listings to create their own fraudulent listings. They find homes that had been listed for rent the previous week, they copy the advertisement, and list the exact same house, complete with pictures. There is one striking difference though: there is no phone number, no local contact, and the rental amount is reduced. They use contact email accounts, taking the owners name, and incorporate it into a email address, using yahoo or many other recognizable internet providers. Using public records, these criminals find the property owner’s name, and assume their identity online. Upon emailing these criminals about their listing, they email back, portraying devout Catholics. They claim they are on a prayer crusade in Nigeria with their families, and that “we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean,” as said as an excerpt from an actual email from one of these identity-stealing criminals. The writing is usually riddled with grammatical errors. Once you inquire, you will receive a response stating that you will be the perfect tenant while they are out of the country. The next email is one requesting payment, and the promise that the keys will be sent overnight via UPS or FedEx as soon as the payment is received. They will ask for anywhere from $700-$1,000 as a “deposit,” that is to be sent via Moneygram or Western Union to Lagos, Nigeria. Suspiciously, the name that is given does not match the name of the owner of the house. If confronted about this, the response is that it is a privacy/security measure from the shipping company, which seems like an acceptable explanation. Unknowingly, countless people wire money straight to them, and never hear anything from the “owner” again. The keys are never sent, and their money disappears into the pockets of scam artists in another country, and they are left without a house. Many times, people count on the fact that they will be able to move into their house immediately. All that can be done is reporting these fraudulent listings, by “flagging” them for removal, or reporting to this website: http://www.ic3.gov/. The FBI will get involved if there was a substantial loss of money, but in these cases, the losses are not great enough. If something on Craigslist seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Protect yourself, and do not get caught up in scams. If you are looking to rent a house, make sure you meet the owner or their representative in person and are able to see the property first. This may seem surreal, but it is happening right now here in Elk Grove and nationwide.