An unscrupulous person recently posted photos of one of the homes that I have offered for sale and said that home was their home. They were "out of the country" and were offering the home for rent for the low, low price of $800/month. They just wanted someone to care for the home and weren't really very concerned about the money.

They used the homeowner's name and actual address and posted their home for lease for a far below market price. They even went so far as to set up an email account using the real homeowner's name.

Fortunately I received 3 calls from their ad and was able to discover the ruse. We quickly explained to the interested parties that the house was not for rent. Moreover that the person who posted the ad was not authorized and was claiming false ownership of the home.

From this experience, I have made a list of Signs of a scam on Craigslist:

**Look for someone who claims they are out of the country.
**In this case the scammer was a "pastor serving in Africa".
**Check to see if they are providing an international cell phone number.
**They are not allowing interested parties access to the home.
**Beware if the scam artist asks you to send money claiming they will then send back a package with the keys and further instructions.
**Strange wording and spelling. Incorrect grammar.

If you have other indications of a scam, please post them here. It is beneficial for us to make one another aware!

Diane Brooks, CRS, GRI

FC Tucker Company, Inc.

Follow me on twitter @talktoDiane

 

6 Comments on Dont' Fall for this Craigslist Scam

OCT
22
Outside Blog

Diana:

Thank you for the heads up.  Boy, the lengths that some people go to with these scams.

9:17am • #1

I appreciate you sharing this story with us since craigslist is used by many people.  Your tips were great also so that we know what to look for now. 

9:23am • #2
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This scam has been around for a while. I haven't had it happen to me personally but some of the agents in our RMLS reported it some time ago.

9:24am • #3

Diana, Thank you for the information.  Also an agent in my office was a victim of scam... her listing was for rent just like yours.  She had to file a report with the police department... She end up losing her listing... client got scared!!!

9:25am • #4
287,817 Points 4 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Set up some google alerts on your listings and it will help you get a quicker handle on this scam. Its crazy out there.

9:28am • #5

Thanks for your comments!  We can definitely help one another by reporting these incidents to the AR community.  Fortunately my sellers understood the situation and were pleased we were on top of it right away!  We continue to monitor Craigslist to be sure the scammer doesn't try it again.

10:07am • #6

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Diane Brooks

Zionsville, IN

More about me…

F.C. Tucker Company, Inc.

Office Phone: (317) 844-4646

Cell Phone: (317) 590-1048

Email Me

Here you will find a wealth of information about homes in and around Indianapolis as well as general tips about the real estate market like getting your home ready to sell, finding the best home buys, and products for your home. Local information is provided on Zionsville, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield and Fishers.


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