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  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 13, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    Craigslist rental scam leaves landlord and tenants in a bind 

    Craigslist rental scam leaves landlord and tenants in a bind

    By Greg Collier

    In a cautionary tale that underscores the importance of due diligence in the rental market, a landlord and four unsuspecting residents in Virginia Beach found themselves ensnared in a potential rental scam. What began as a seemingly routine rental agreement ended in confusion, financial loss, and upheaval for all parties involved.

    The story revolves around a realtor, who leased a four-bedroom home in late 2023, only to discover that she had fallen victim to a scam orchestrated by someone posing as the property owner. Initially, everything appeared to be in order, with rent payments arriving punctually. However, by December, the payments ceased, and communication with the supposed tenant abruptly halted.

    It wasn’t until February, when the realtor visited the property, that the full extent of the deception became apparent. Instead of finding her tenant, she encountered unfamiliar faces, shocked to learn that the person they had been paying rent to wasn’t the true owner of the property. Locks had been placed on individual bedroom doors, and the house was being sublet to unwitting tenants.

    Further investigation revealed that the imposter had listed individual bedrooms for rent on Craigslist, collecting money from multiple tenants while failing to fulfill his own financial obligations to the realtor. The deceit extended to using a different name in the listings, potentially to obfuscate his true identity.

    The ramifications of the scam were profound. Not only did the realtor face financial losses and property damage, but the unsuspecting residents also found themselves displaced and potentially out of pocket.

    This serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of rental scams and the need for vigilance when navigating the rental market. Verifying property ownership is a crucial step for potential renters to ensure they are dealing with legitimate landlords and avoiding rental scams.

    Most counties maintain online databases where property records are publicly accessible. Prospective renters can search for the property address on the county assessor’s website to find information about the current owner. This information typically includes the owner’s name and contact details.

    Property tax records are another reliable source of information regarding property ownership. Renters can visit the local tax assessor’s office or access their website to inquire about property tax records. Tax records typically include the name of the property owner, the assessed value of the property, and tax payment history.

    Renters can directly verify property ownership by requesting proof of ownership from the landlord. This could include asking for a copy of the property deed or rental agreement. Legitimate landlords should be willing to provide this information to establish trust and transparency with potential tenants.

    By utilizing these methods, potential renters can verify property ownership and protect themselves from rental scams and fraudulent landlords. Taking the time to conduct due diligence and verify ownership details can help ensure a safe and secure rental experience.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 19, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    Real Estate Scam: First-Time Homebuyers Offered Houses at a Fraction of the Cost 

    By Greg Collier

    The county tax assessor’s office in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, is warning potential homebuyers of a scam that’s recently hit their area. Oklahoma County, includes the capital of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City. According to the assessor’s office, scammers are listing homes for sale that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for just a few thousand. For example, a home valued at $400,000 was listed for sale on Zillow at just $6000. That price wasn’t meant to be a deposit or down payment, but the full price of the home.

    These scammers are preying on people who have little experience of buying a home. In fact, the ads claim the home prices are so low because the seller is rewarding first-time homebuyers. Typically, scammers who list properties like this claim it’s a tax write-off for them while playing the good Samaritan to their victims. These scammers usually insist the buyer be a first-time home buyer who has no representation such as a realtor, bank, investor, or attorney. The buyers are asked to make their payments through platforms like Venmo, or in the Oklahoma County instance, Google Pay.

    As you may have surmised, the scammers don’t own these homes, and often the homes are not for sale in the first place. Residents have reported prospective buyers and realtors showing up at their home because of the fraudulent listings.

    The Oklahoma County Assessor even called the phone number in one of the phony listings. The person on the other end of the call told them that they’re making a lot of money with this scam, and they can’t be stopped. The County Assessor’s Office said the main problem they’re having is that no victims of the scam have come forward yet. This would assist them greatly in trying to prosecute the scammers.

    If you’re a first-time homebuyer, please keep in mind that a homeowner offering a home at such a steep discount for a tax write-off is not a legitimate practice. Anyone claiming this in their real estate listing is trying to scam you. Also, you should avoid making any payments through platforms like Venmo and Google Pay, as once the payment goes through, it’s almost impossible to reclaim your lost funds.

    Finally, to safeguard yourself from deceptive property listings, it is advisable to verify information with the county’s tax assessment office. This resource will provide you with the necessary details to identify the legitimate homeowner and ensure a secure and informed home buying process.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 9, 2024 Permalink | Reply
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    Scammer demands deposit for unauthorized home tour 

    Scammer demands deposit for unauthorized home tour

    By Greg Collier

    A family from Tennessee was looking to move to another part of the state, searching for better job opportunities. They made their intentions known on social media, where they were approached by someone claiming to be a realtor. The realtor told the family he has a home in the area they’re looking to move to. The family was then asked for a $750 deposit. The $750 wasn’t meant as some form of security deposit or holding cost. The realtor said the family needed to pay the $750 just to tour the home.

    Unfortunately, the family paid the realtor the $750 through Cash App. When the family went to meet the realtor at the property, the realtor never showed up. When the family contacted the realtor again, he said he would be there the next day. The next day came, but still, the realtor failed to show up. This time, the realtor claimed that he had been stopped by police and even provided the family a picture of the police officer. It later turned out the police officer in the photo was from another state.

    The family started becoming suspicious about the deal when the realtor sent the family a picture of himself with a realtor’s license. Then the realtor tried to get even more money out of the family by offering them a refund of the $750, but the family would have to pay another $100 claiming that was Cash App’s business fee for the refund. When the family contacted Cash App, they were told there was no such fee.

    If you’re getting ready to make a big life change like moving into a new home, you may want to keep that decision off social media. Sadly, there are too many scammers who are tuned into certain keywords that help them find victims. If you’re approached by a stranger on social media who claims they can help you, be very suspicious and do not give them any money, especially through payment apps like Cash App, Venmo and Zelle.

    To safeguard against rental scams, conduct thorough research on the property. Rather than relying solely on the landlord’s proof of ownership, reach out to the county’s tax assessor’s office to verify the actual property owner. Additionally, perform a Google search using the property’s address to identify any discrepancies in multiple listings, especially differing rental rates. A lower-priced listing among them is likely a fraudulent scheme.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    New twist added to sweepstakes scam 

    New twist added to sweepstakes scam

    By Greg Collier

    Scammers have often impersonated Publishers Clearing House (PCH) due to their famous sweepstakes that award winners large sums of money from their Prize Patrol van. Typically, fraudsters will pose as PCH in order to perpetrate what’s known as an advance fee scam. In that scam, the scammers will tell their victim they won a substantial monetary prize from the PCH Sweepstakes, but to claim the prize the victim needs to pay a processing fee or taxes before they can claim the prize. This scam can go on for months, with the scammers always claiming that more money is needed from the victim before the prize can be claimed. However, there is a new PCH-related scam that builds on the advance fee scam.

    An elderly woman from Florida recently received a letter indicating she had won a prize from PCH. Included with the letter was a check for $9,450 to assist with taxes and processing fees. She was instructed to call a phone number once the check had been deposited into her account. Thankfully, she did not fall for this scam and called her local news channel instead.

    Frequent readers probably recognize this scam as the fake check scam. The scammer’s goal here was to get the woman to deposit the check into her bank account, Once she did that, she would have been instructed to send that money to a third party to pay for the ‘taxes and fees’. With the check almost assuredly being a fake, the victim would be responsible for that money once her bank discovered the check was fraudulent.

    To protect yourself from a scam like this, it’s always prudent to keep the phrase ‘no purchase necessary’ in mind. It’s illegal to be charged a fee for a sweepstakes prize, even if a check is included to help pay the fees. Also, anytime a person you don’t know asks you to deposit a check before sending someone else the money, the odds are pretty good they’re trying to scam you.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on November 21, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    IRS warns of romance scams 

    IRS warns of romance scams

    By Greg Collier

    When many people think of the Internal Revenue Service, they only think of having to pay their income tax to the government. However, the IRS also has a Criminal Investigation Office. These are the federal agents tasked with going after scammers and scam rings. Recently, the IRS sounded the alarm on romance scams after a Federal Trade Commission report said that over 70,000 people lost a combined total of $1.3 billion in 2022. And those are only the ones the government knows about. Many romance scam victims never come forward out of embarrassment.

    If you’re unfamiliar with romance scams, they mostly target women, but it’s not unheard of for men to be victims as well. Romance scammers also tend to target the elderly as well, but anyone of any age can be a victim.

    These scammers largely find their victims on social media, dating platforms, and sometimes online games. Romance scammers are very patient and will trick their victims into believing that they’re in a real relationship. More often than not, the scammers will pose as someone living or working overseas. The victims will experience a process known as ‘love bombing’ where the scammer will dote on their victims with little romantic touches.

    These relationships will be cultivated by the scammers for months before they finally approach their victims for money. The scammer will usually have a story about how some kind of emergency has come up, and since they’re overseas, they can’t access their own money. Or they’ll claim they need the money as part of an investment in their business. All the while, the scammers will promise their victims they’ll repay the money when they finally meet in person.

    Except, romance scammers will never meet their victims in person. Often these scammers use someone else’s identity that they found online. They’ll use pictures of other people they stole from social media, and even use that person’s name in their scam. But, they’ll continue to ask for money until the victim is either broke or finally catches on to the scam.

    Here are some recommendations from the IRS to help you steer clear of falling prey to romance scams. Refrain from sending money to individuals you’ve only interacted with online or via phone. Exercise caution when sharing information publicly on the internet. Approach new relationships with a deliberate pace and ask probing questions. Stay vigilant if someone appears too flawless or hastily urges you to transition from a dating service or social media platform to alternative means of communication. Be wary of individuals attempting to isolate you from your circle of friends and family. Avoid sharing inappropriate images or financial details that could potentially be exploited for extortion. And lastly, exercise suspicion if promises of an in-person meeting are made but never materialize.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 25, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , fake clergy, , , scam reporting, , , , USA.gov   

    Scam Round Up: Where to report a scam and more 

    Scam Round Up: Where to report a scam and more

    By Greg Collier

    Scammers in Modesto, California, are preying upon Spanish-speaking residents by posing as clergy from the local Catholic diocese. These scammers are allegedly charging families up to $2000 for baptisms, confirmations, and first communions.

    Some scam victims may be afraid to come forward due to their immigration status. However, police have urged residents to come forward by reassuring them they won’t be asked their current status.

    ***

    Police in Evanston, Illinois are warning residents there about a police impersonation scam happening in their area. According to the Evanston PD, scammers are calling residents and telling them they owe money for traffic tickets.

    As with all police impersonation scams, real police will never call you and ask for money over the phone, nor will they threaten you with arrest for not paying.

    If you receive a call like this, hang up, and call your local police department at their non-emergency number.

    ***

    An elderly woman from Western New York received a letter that appeared to come from Publisher’s Clearing House, telling her she won $2.6 million. Thankfully, she caught on quickly that it was a scam. The letter asked her to pay $4000 in insurance to ensure she would receive the $2.6M check.

    This is known as the advance fee scam, and PCH has always been imitated in these scams. Keep in mind, it doesn’t cost anything to enter sweepstakes like this. That’s why they always say no purchase necessary.

    ***

    Lastly, the Federal Government has set up a new website that will help consumers report scams. Anyone can go to USA.gov and answer a quick series of questions. The tool will advise the user where to report a particular type of scam.

    For example, we answered that we were inquiring about identity theft regarding our tax return, and it directed us to the proper department of both the IRS and FBI to report the scam.

    Related Video: Kenmore woman doesn’t fall for $2.6 million scam prize letter posing as Publishers Clearing House

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 20, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , pump switching, , subpoena   

    Scam Round Up: The gas pump switching scam and more 

    Scam Round Up: The gas pump switching scam and more

    By Greg Collier

    There’s a new version of the advance fee scam circulating on Facebook Marketplace. An advance fee scam is when a scammer promises something valuable for free then asks for some type of payment for things like taxes or shipping.

    In this case, scammers are offering a free laptop, but it comes with a sob story. The ad claims the seller bought their spouse a new ‘laptop pro’, but they caught their spouse cheating and want to give the laptop away as a form of punishment.

    The ad almost tips itself off as being a scam, since the gender of the spouse switches back and forth in the description.

    “I am giving out this laptop Pro that I bought to surprise my husband for her birthday but then caught her cheating on me,” the scammer wrote. “I know I could sell it and get my money back, but I want to show her I gave it away for nothing like her is to me.”

    The catch is, once someone responds to the ad, the seller asks for a $70 shipping fee, and the laptop is never delivered. Scammers are also using hijacked Facebook accounts. So if you see a friend listing this for sale, you may want to let them know.

    ***

    A new version of the jury duty scam has popped up in Florida, and its targets are more vulnerable than the typical jury duty scam victim. Instead of just calling people at random and threatening them with arrest for supposedly missing jury duty, scammers are now targeting people who have actually been subpoenaed.

    Subpoenas are a matter of public record, and scammers are using these records to target their victims. Like the jury duty scam, the scammers are posing as the local police or court system and demanding cash from victims to avoid arrest. The scammers are asking their victims to meet them in person.

    However, also like the jury duty scam, no law enforcement agency or court will ever call you and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make an immediate payment. If any kind of legal fine ever needs to paid, a person would be notified by mail.

    ***

    Police in the Philadelphia area are warning consumers about a gas pump scam. They call it the pump switching scam, and it starts when someone approaches a victim at the gas pumps and insists on pumping their gas for them. According to the police, the scammers are quite insistent about it.

    If a victim agrees to this, the scammer won’t return the nozzle to the pump and will continue to fill the tanks of people who drive up for $20 cash. This will continue until the victim’s card hits its limit or the police arrive.

    To protect yourself from this scam, always return the nozzle to the pump and end the transaction. You can also prepay inside the gas station. If you do pay at the pump, also make sure you print out a receipt.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Elaborate rental scam leaves more families homeless 

    Elaborate rental scam leaves more families homeless

    By Greg Collier

    Rental scams seem to be grabbing plenty of headlines lately. There hasn’t been an increase in rental scams. Rental scams are one of the more common scams going today and has been for a while. We think the headlines are escalating because increasingly more families are becoming homeless because of the scam.

    For example, two families moved from out of state to Aurora, Colorado. The first family is from Las Vegas and saw an and for a four bedroom home for rent on Craigslist. This family tried to do all of their due diligence. They asked the landlord for proof of ownership, which they provided. The father of the family even drove from Las Vegas to Aurora to meet with a realtor who showed him the home. The man agreed to rent the home and arranged to make the deposit.

    The realtor asked for payment through Cash App, which the man almost recognized as a red flag. However, the Las Vegas man insisted on paying through PayPal instead. Once the realtor received the payment, he gave the family the code to enter the home. So, they packed up all their belongings and moved from Las Vegas into the Aurora home.

    They were living in the home for three days when another family showed up looking to move in. This family had moved from Arkansas to Colorado. When the two families compared their stories, they both realized they had been scammed. Everyone from the landlord to the realtor were scammers.

    It wasn’t too long before the property management company showed up. As property management companies are wont to do, they gave the first family 10 days to vacate the premises or be evicted. The second family didn’t even have that luxury. Now, both families are facing homelessness.

    So, how did the scammers gain access to the home in the first place? Once again, the property management company was probably using a lockbox which contained the keys. Too many realtors never change the code on the lockboxes, leaving them vulnerable to scammers. All a scammer has to do is contact the legitimate realtor and ask for a tour. Since many realtors allow guideless tours, they’ll give the lockbox code to any potential customer, including scammers. Once the scammer has the lockbox code, they’ll use it repeatedly to show the home to their victims.

    As always, the best way to protect yourself against rental scammers is to do as much research about the property as possible. Don’t ask the landlord for proof of ownership, instead contact the county’s tax assessor’s office to find out who the real owner is. Do a Google search on the property’s address to see if there are multiple listings with different rental rates. If there are, the lower priced one is almost guaranteed to be a scam listing. Lastly, never use payment apps like PayPal or Cash App for your deposit. These apps are vulnerable to a number of scams themselves.

    If you want to help the two families taken in by this scam, you can donate to their GoFundMe accounts here and here.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 15, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Maui wildfires bring out the scammers 

    Maui wildfires bring out the scammers

    By Greg Collier

    In case you haven’t been following the news, the island of Maui in Hawaii has been experiencing the worst wildfires in over a century. And whenever there is a natural disaster of this scale, the scammers are sure to follow. In that vein, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is trying to get ahead of the scammers and has issued a warning not only to the residents of Maui, but also those looking to help the victims of the fires.

    The first type of scam the FTC is warning residents about is the FEMA impersonation scam. After natural disasters, scammers will often impersonate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to try to get personal information or money from victims of the disaster.

    Fraudsters masquerade as FEMA representatives and contact individuals, offering aid related to disaster relief or financial support.

    These impostors deploy a variety of tactics to target potential victims, utilizing means like phone calls, emails, text messages, or social media posts. They might assert that the person has been granted financial aid, or insist on the need for personal particulars to facilitate aid distribution.

    After winning the victim’s confidence, the scammers proceed to request sensitive personal and financial data, including Social Security numbers, bank account specifics, or credit card particulars. Additionally, they might solicit funds or persuade the victim to acquire gift cards under the guise of receiving assistance.

    In actuality, authentic FEMA representatives never solicit personal or financial details through phone calls or emails, nor do they ask for monetary contributions or gift cards as prerequisites for disaster relief. Should you receive a suspicious communication purporting to be from FEMA, it’s advisable to directly contact the agency to authenticate the legitimacy of the message.

    Then there are the charity scams, which almost always appear following a disaster like this. Individuals seeking to contribute to a relief fund should exercise caution when encountering phone or email solicitations from entities with generic names such as ‘Disaster Relief Fund’. If a charitable organization seems to be exerting undue pressure on you to donate, whether via phone conversations or online platforms, there’s a strong likelihood that they are operating as scammers.

    You have the option to verify a charity’s authenticity by visiting platforms like Charity Navigator and Give.org. These resources can provide insights into which charities are genuine and which ones should be approached with skepticism. Additionally, you can cross-check with the IRS to determine whether a charity is officially registered with them; this step significantly contributes to establishing the legitimacy of the charity.

    And please keep in mind, you can always donate money or blood to the Red Cross. This will not only help the people of Maui but the victims of other disasters as well.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 25, 2023 Permalink | Reply
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    Reporter’s home used in rental scam 

    By Greg Collier

    If you’re a rental scammer, the last house you want to use in your scam is probably one which belongs to a police officer. The second to last house a scammer would want to use would most likely belong to a reporter. But that’s precisely what happened to a TV reporter from the Hampton Roads, Virginia area.

    The reporter listed her home for rent on Zillow and only Zillow. After posting her home on Zillow, she received a text from a good Samaritan. The man who texted her said he found her home listed for rent on Craigslist. Not only did the Craigslist ad list the home for a cheaper rent, but the scammer was asking for an $80 application fee. The scammer had reportedly been talking to the man for two days before the man drove over to the property and called the number that was on the ‘for rent’ sign.

    Then the reporter did what reporters do, she began to investigate the phony listing. During her investigation, she also found her home listed for rent on Facebook Marketplace. As you might expect, she called the phone number listed in the phony ads. The scammer said he would meet with her to show her the home and would need $1000 for the security deposit. However, when it came time to meet, the scammer instead sent the reporter a link to the application and asked for the $80 application fee. The reporter even commented on how official looking the application was.

    The reporter called the scammer and asked him how long he owned the home, with the scammer replying two years. She then told the scammer she was both the owner of the home and a reporter. The scammer hung up the call, and when the reporter tried to call back, she only got the voicemail message.

    If you’re looking to rent or sell your home online, there’s not much you can do to prevent it being used in a scam. We have seen online listings where the seller states that the home is not listed on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. That may aid in discouraging renters from falling victim to a rental scam.

    We understand that there may be urgent situations requiring individuals to find a new home swiftly. However, regardless of the circumstances, it is crucial for potential renters to dedicate time to researching a property before making any financial commitments. One essential step is to determine the current rental rates for homes in the desired area. If a particular home seems remarkably affordable, exercising caution is advisable. Engage in a thorough web search using the property’s address to identify any other listings associated with different realtors and rental prices, as scammers often replicate legitimate real estate offers. Additionally, it is prudent to verify the true ownership of the property by consulting the county’s tax assessor office or website. By taking these precautionary measures, individuals can protect themselves from potential rental scams and ensure a safe and informed decision-making process.

     

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