Homeless vet taken in rental scam

Homeless vet taken in rental scam

By Greg Collier

We’ve said it many times in the past, scammers don’t care who they take advantage of. They’ll use any situation to steal money from the most vulnerable members of our society. Scammers often fleece the elderly who live alone. They would literally steal from babies if given the chance. So, it should come as no surprise that scammers would not only steal from a man who served our country, but one who has also fallen on hard times.

A veteran from North Carolina, is currently living in a tent in the woods of Concord, a semi-rural suburb of Charlotte. He served in Iraq and has been trying to find stable housing. Unfortunately, it’s been difficult for him to find housing due to his credit history and a criminal record.

He thought he had found an ideal place when he found an online listing for a home to rent. The supposed landlord gave the man’s brother the access code to the home, so they could actually tour the home. The man agreed to rent the home and sent the landlord $2,000 through the personal payment app Zelle. The landlord then cut off all communication with the veteran. The property was actually being rented by a rental company.

Scammers having the access codes to rental homes is nothing new. The scammers get the code by contacting the rental company and taking a tour of the home. The code is then used by the scammers to make the scam appear more legitimate.

And again, it should come as no surprise that Zelle was also used in the scam. Since Zelle offers little to no protection to its users, it has become a tool of choice for scammers everywhere.

Rental scammers are constantly looking for people who are desperate for housing. Since housing is one of the most basic of needs, people who are scrambling for shelter may often overlook the warning signs of a scam.

Again, security codes are not a sign of a legitimate property owner. To better prevent yourself from being scammed, it always pays to research a property first. Just a quick web search of the property’s address can bring up a plethora of information that can help you determine whether a listing is a scam or not. You can also find the true owner of a property by checking with the county’s tax assessor’s office.