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JACKSONVILLE, Florida –
In the market to rent a house or an apartment? The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office wants you to be on the lookout for scammers advertising fake ads on popular websites.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers often advertise rentals that don’t exist or aren’t available to trick people into sending money before they find out the truth.
JSO investigators claim that potential tenants have been tricked into sending money through electronic transfer services like Cash App, Paypal or Zelle after contacting scammers, most of whom are not located in the United States.
Signs of a scam
They tell you to wire money
This is the surest sign of a scam. There is never a good reason to wire money to pay a security deposit, administration fees, first month’s rent, or vacation rental fees. This is true even if they send you a contract first. Transferring money is like sending money: once you send it, you have no way of getting it back.
They want a security deposit or the first month’s rent before you’ve met or signed a lease
It’s never a good idea to send money to someone you’ve never met in person for an apartment you haven’t seen. If you can’t visit an apartment or house yourself, ask someone you trust to go and confirm that it is for rent and that is what was advertised. In addition to scheduling a meeting, search the owner and the list. If you find the same ad under a different name, that’s a clue that it may be a scam.
They say they are out of the country
But they have a plan to put the keys in your hands. This could be a lawyer or an “agent” working on their behalf. Some crooks even create fake keys. Don’t send them money overseas. If you can’t meet in person, view the apartment, or sign a lease before paying, keep looking. What if the rental itself is abroad? Paying with a credit card or through a reputable vacation rental website with its own payment system is your safest bet.
How to report scams
If you are the target of a rental scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and at the FTC.
Remember to also contact the website where the ad was posted.
© 2021 Cox Media Group
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