Let me start by saying I will not use craigslist again. It is clearly too easy to steal partially valid information and comingle it with fraud. If you ever see Tanya Van Blake-Coleman or Van Blake-Coleman Realty associated with Craigslist, know it is a fraudulent post and report it immediately. The above photo was taken either from, my website or the Listing agent's and used in an ad for a one bedroom for $900 a month. The FTC and the FBI have been notified. It is also frustrating that you cannot contact a "person" at Craigslist, the most you can do is click on "report" at the top of the listing. This thief was a little more clever than the last combining information from two different companies. this is the second time either a listing of mine for my company name was used that I know of.
An eager customer looking for an inexpensive rental on St. Croix responded to the ad and after having given personal information realizes it was a scam and called me after contacting his financial institutions.
If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are it is a duck. This home is for sale at $1.2M. In speaking with the office of the listing Broker, the photo of this home has been used repeatedly in Craigslist scams.
It is sad in that so many people are struggling to find affordable housing in the Virgin Islands. We are still very much, still in recovery from the hurricanes of 2017, either from damaged homes, hotels that have not been able to re-open and the many workers who have come down to assist with our recovery ( they have absorbed a lot of existing housing and driven up the prices). We are happy and excited to have the relief workers here to assist with our recovery but their living allowances have driven up rental prices beyond what many people, who live here year-round, can afford.
Please use your head and not your heart when looking for housing, don't give your personal or financial information until you have actually seen a representative and the property in person.
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