Greg's Corner

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  Geebo 8:11 am on August 3, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook Marketplace ( 58 ), real estate ( 118 ), rental scam ( 84 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), Zelle ( 62 )   

  More tips on how to avoid a rental scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Since the dawn of online classifieds, the rental scam is probably only 2nd in frequency to the fake check scam. For two decades, rental scammers have been stealing the money from families looking to rent a new home. More often than not, the victims of these scams end up losing the last of their money, so not only can they not move, but they can’t pay the rent at their current residence. While we have much empathy for the victims of rental scams, it is one of the more preventable online scams.

  For example, a woman in Cincinnati recently fell victim to such a scam. She found a house for rent on Facebook Marketplace that was a two bedroom home for just $700 a month. The scammer sent the victim pictures of the home’s interior, but said they couldn’t show the home because they were out of state. The victim still filled out an application and sent a deposit and two months rent to the scammer over the payment app Zelle. In total, the victim lost over $2000.

  Currently, there are simple steps to prevent you from falling victim to this scam. The first thing you should do is a do a web search of the property’s complete address, zip code and all. This first listings in the search should bring up real estate websites Zillow and Realtor.com. Zillow can give you an idea of a more realistic rent, as scammers will almost always list the property well below market value. Realtor.com will let you know if the property is being rented by a real estate agency and their contact info. If that information doesn’t match what you’re being given, you may be dealing with a scammer. If you do a reverse image search from the listing you found, it might take you to one of these websites, meaning the pictures were stolen.

  There are also the red flags of the ‘landlord’ not being able to show the property and the payment through apps like Zelle and Cash App.

  Lastly, if you want to be absolutely sure that you’re dealing with the legitimate owner of the property, do a check with the county’s tax assessor’s website or office.

  It’s better to do a little research to avoid being scammed than acting rashly and losing your money.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 2, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: prison ( 4 ), romance scam ( 68 ), Scams ( 1,229 ), virginia beach   

  Romance scam victim sent to jail 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Whenever we discuss romance scams, we always take care to mention that anybody from any socioeconomic status can fall prey to this scam. We also say that some people fall so deep into the scam that they end up stealing the money that their scammer continues to ask for. Unfortunately, today’s story is one of those stories.

  For context, a romance scam is when a scammer approaches a victim online and initiates what appears to be a romantic relationship. The scammer usually claims they have some job that keeps them from meeting face to face. Typically, that’s usually a member of the military who is stationed overseas, an oil rig worker, or a businessman working outside the country. The scammers will usually use pictures of people that they’ve stolen from the internet. They might even use the names of real people. The fake romance will be kept going for a while before the scammer starts asking for money. This will be under the guise of some kind of emergency or to urgently complete some kind of business deal. We’re talking anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars if the scammer finds the right victim. Too many people let their hearts get in the way and end up going bankrupt sending money to these scammers. For one victim, it’s going to cost her 18 months in jail.

  The 58-year-old woman, from Virginia Beach, thought she had met a chemical engineer named Leo who was working overseas. Leo allegedly claimed that he needed money to rescue him from foreign authorities. At first, he asked for $460,000. It wasn’t too much long after that he asked for another $220,000. The victim didn’t have this kind of money, but worked for an escrow and title company. She ended up taking the money from her company to give to the scammer. After realizing she had been scammed, the victim turned herself in and has now been sentenced to 18-months in federal prison. Meanwhile, the scammer was never apprehended.

  This isn’t the first instance we’ve heard of where a victim of a romance scam went to jail for misappropriation of funds. It probably won’t be the last, either. There’s nothing wrong with meeting someone online and starting a relationship, if you take the right precautions. When they send you a picture, do a reverse image search to make sure they are who they say they are. If they make excuses as to why they can never meet in person, there’s a good chance they’re trying to scam you. Lastly, never send money to someone you never met in real life, no matter how charming they may be.