Greg's Corner

A desperate plea for help leads to family getting scammed

By Greg Collier

There should be no shame in reaching out to your neighbors for help. Today, if we do decide to reach out, we often do it online. Not only out of convenience, but because it helps us reach a wider range of people who could potentially help us. Unfortunately, it’s not just our neighbors who might see our pleas, there are also scammers, as one Virginia family found out.

In this story, the family consists of a disabled mother with an adult daughter who is pregnant. They were looking for a home to rent and due to the mother’s disabilities, they were limited in their choices. They could not rent any property that required the mother to go up or down stairs. The mother posted her plea online that they were looking for a place to rent. This plea was posted to her area’s Craigslist.

After she made her post, someone reached out almost immediately. They said that they had a property they were looking to rent out to someone and even gave them an address, so they could drive by the home. When the daughter spoke to the supposed landlord, he said that he needed money right away to have the city turn the water and plumbing right away.

The landlord asked for $700 to be paid through Cash App under somebody else’s name. The daughter even said that didn’t feel right, as the money should go into a bank account. However, they were so desperate to find a roof over their heads, they ignored the red flags and sent the money anyway. Sadly, they sent their money to a scammer. They are now trying even harder to find a home, along with the financial burden of losing that money.

I know it’s easier said than done, but even if you’re in dire straits, please do your research before sending any money to rent a home. Scammers are constantly looking for people on the down and out to take advantage of because they know the victim’s emotional state may make them vulnerable. The scammers have no qualms taking from people who have very little.

As long as you have a working smartphone, which is most phones these days, you can research the property. If you do a quick Google search on the property’s address, you can find a lot of information about the property. That can include the actual rent price and the actual rental agency. And as always, we recommend going to the website or office of the county tax assessor, as they will have the records of who actually owns and rents the property.

Also, never send money through apps like Cash App, Venmo, Zelle and the like. This makes it incredibly easy for scammers to take your money before blocking you and disappearing with your money.

Lastly, scammers will always try to pressure you into making a decision right away. If you feel pressured, don’t be afraid to take your time researching and deciding. You may just save yourself the heartache of losing money to a scammer.