Greg's Corner

Home used in rental scam wasn’t even listed

By Greg Collier

Typically, when we discuss a home that’s been used in a rental scam, that home is listed for sale or rent in a legitimate listing before it’s copied by scammers. That gives potential renters an opportunity to see if the home has multiple listings. That’s one of the best indicators that one of the listings is a scam. But what if the property isn’t listed anywhere first?

That’s what happened to a couple from Tennessee who were getting ready to sell their home. The couple had already moved out, but were putting the finishing touches on their old home before selling it. One day, when they went to some work on the house, they found the locks had been changed and people were living there. The people living in the home thought they had rented the home from someone on Facebook Marketplace.

The homeowners placed a sign on the property letting people know that the home wasn’t for rent. Even after getting the listing removed from Marketplace, it continued showing up in their listings.

So, how did the scammer know to target this particular house? The report we read doesn’t say, but it could have been a number of things. It could have been anything from the scammer could have seen the homeowners moving out to the homeowners possibly mentioning their move on social media. Scammers are anything if not resourceful.

For renters to avoid this scam, there are several steps you can take. Always check with the county’s tax office to find who the true owner of the home is. If the landlord is asking for payment through apps like Venmo or Cash App, they’re probably a scammer.

As far as homeowners go, if you want to avoid people from being scammed and moving into your property, do what these homeowners did. Put a sign either on the property or in a window inside the home that says the property is not for rent. Also, consider installing some security cameras that you can view through your phone or computer at any time. This way, you can see who is approaching your property and why.