Craigslist rental scam victims lose money, send personal information

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DENVER (KDVR) — Saturday afternoon, Lawrence and his fiancée Juli have been gardening in their entrance property when a auto with two people today pulled up inquiring to converse to them and see their assets.

“They were like, ‘We’re heading to be renting this dwelling. We are coming for a walkthrough on Monday,’” Lawrence mentioned.

The pair purchased their dwelling in the Athmar Park neighborhood back again in 2020. They told FOX31 that the two ladies who confirmed up at their doorstep identified their dwelling shown for rent on Craigslist.

“We ended up essentially like, we very own this property so you may be having scammed,” Juli said.

The two women of all ages then informed the couple they equally paid out the person stated on the Craigslist advert $50 just about every for an software, along with a person other roommate, in full shelling out the suspected scammer $150.

“They even stuffed out a rental software with the scammer, so now he has all their own information,” Juli mentioned.

Juli and Lawrence appeared up the listing online. Guaranteed more than enough, there was their home shown for lease. The couple tried using contacting the amount associated with the post, but when the suspected scammer answered and they asked him why he experienced their home mentioned, the male on the other conclusion hung up.

“He’s just going to set up a further listing of yet another place and go on with his lifetime,” Lawrence claimed.

FOX31 also attempted contacting the suspected scammer a several occasions and the connect with went to voicemail.

How to stay away from Craigslist rental frauds

The few warns those people hunting to lease: If it appears way too excellent to be genuine, it in all probability is.

“They ended up listing this as a a few bed room with the lease drastically reduce than the other related spots all around town,” Lawrence mentioned.

But the few understands why the ad on Craigslist was so plausible. They said the scammer pulled all the photos and information and facts from the Zillow advertisement at first posted when the dwelling was for sale again in 2020.

“All the pics from the listing are however on Zillow from two decades back, and the description they took was word for term in the Craigslist advert, so it appears tremendous legit,” Juli explained.

The few did speak to Denver Law enforcement, who they explained pointed them in the path of the fraud office. But the pair comprehended considering that they did not drop any income in the fraud, they can’t file a report. FOX31 also attained out to Denver Police but hasn’t read anything again.

“I suggest, persons are acquiring roped into a rip-off. What, are they going to feel I experienced anything to do with it and present up at my doorstep upset?” Lawrence explained.

The pair warns renters to not use Craigslist to locate a spot to lease, to in no way fork out income or deliver personalized info in advance of seeing a area, and that if it sounds as well very good to be real, it almost certainly is.

 

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