How the scam works:
(with video below) With many foreclosures in the last few years, there are tons of properties that are lying empty. Scammers find these empty places, change the locks, and place an ad online or in the newspapers in the same day, representing themselves as the landlords offering the place for rent.
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They meet people who are interested in renting the property at the house over the next few days and offer them great deals, proceeding to sign fake leases. Each of the victims has to pay a deposit – as is normal when renting a property – so they think nothing of it.
They only realize it is a scam when they are about to move in and discover other people doing the same – in the same house! By that time, the “landlords” are already in a different state, province, or county.
Watch the video below to see a variation of the Fake Landlord Renting Property Scam, exposed.
Fake Landlord Scam Video
How to avoid the Fake Landlord Renting Property scam:
If you are considering paying a deposit, ask the owners to provide you with the documents of the house, as proof.
How to report the Fake Landlord Renting Property scam:
Make your family and friends aware of this scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
Report To The FTC Here
How to protect yourself more:
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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Beware of a guy in Toronto called Mike Lemke, claiming to own high end properties and asking for deposits…
Received an email from [email protected] in response to requests for accommodation in london
26 Plender Street, London NW1 0JS,United Kingdom?
Got a rental agreement, photos, passport of a young British girl and photos of girl and property.
I checked it existed it did.
Asked for money transfer by moneygram.
The same things.
Received an email from [email protected] in response to requests for accommodation in Paris
Flat 5 Rue Domremy Paris 75013.
Got a rental agreement, photos, passport of a young British girl and photos of girl and property.
I checked it existed it did.
Asked for money transfer by moneygram, had no idea what that was, asked bank and when I told them what I wanted the moneygram for they said typical French! so I assumed it was a common method of transfer.
Alarm bells rang at every stage but we were in a hurry for accommodation and this did seem real.
My friend rented a house from someone. Then another person appeared and claimed to be the landlord. So happens to be. My friend rented from a property management company. The owner had a key to one of the locks to the back door. The police came but left her and her furniture and belongings in the house. What are her rights? What can she do? How much time does she have to save up money to move again, She spent all my money moving in there. Can the landlord change the locks on her? Can she (the landlord) put my friends things out on the street? What can she do? Can the owner come in when she wants to?
I had recently had a scam pulled on me for a rental property 405 E Blackman Harvard,Il. He got $700.00 for a security deposit that i had to moneygram from walmart to another walart in Angie Louisiana he said he would then send me a key to house and all the document’s i needed to gain access to the house he would call me back with the Ups tracking # so i could track it.In his first email his name was signed James Pike 434-481-2007
# comes back to a magic jack phone.when he told me on the phone(513-442-4706) about sending $ for security deposit and he would send the key he spelled his name out as:James Luper that also comes back to a magic jack i have all his email’s he sent. I was spoken on phone mostly when he told me on the $. he had a foreign accent,said his wife had to relocate to Louisiana that she worked for chevron he even sent this link http://www.chevron.com) he also said he took more pictures that i could see and told me to sign on to this site using my email account http://praxiscommunitypartners.com/em/Babao/REMAXX.htm There was a for rent sign in front yard of the place and yesterday the sign was taken down the # on that was an older Lady she said she doesn’t have a house for rent you must have the wrong # the posting was on craigs list his email is Jada Pikes ; I only have 17 day’s to find a rental house after losing my son paying for burial my house was forclosed on all in the last 6 month’s now i have 17 day’s to be out of my home I don’t know what to do. I will be homeless.
I have come across 3 properties on the same website- Trulia.com- and I get a different "land lord’s" "name" but the same story about him and his wife having to move to a different state and that they are only interested in renting to a family who will take care of their property and that’s why the rental amount is so low! How can these ppl be stopped!?! I actually have e-mail addresses and phone numbers but I’m pretty sure that they are throw away phones but the e-mails may not be so easily discarded…. What should I do? I’m sure that this isn’t the only time this person/ppl have done this and i’m afraid for ppl who fall for this especially the elderly who are primarily targeted!
A girl ask 380 dollars for her parents house license to sell in Florida their are 2 girls involve one in Florida the agent and the customer is in Ohio Akron I have not girls addresses the girl in Florida her name is linda Ramey and the one in Ohio her name is Lorraine Richardson doubt that that Lorraine’s social security number might be stolen she tells me She is 32 and the social number according to what i investigated the owners age is around 52 years old