With COVID-19 fading into the background, scammers see an opportunity to prey upon unsuspecting people. Rental scams have been on the rise in the past few years due to COVID related confusion that obscures financial forethought leading people to become desperate in the face of uncertainty. In 2018, 5.2 Million American renters have lost money due to a rental scam; additionally, in 2020, the rate of which of these scams have claimed victims has risen up 30% or so. It is important to be aware of these types of scams and how to spot them.
The problem has become so prevalent that even the FTC has been addressing the issue. The majority of these kinds of scams are posted on rental websites like Opendoor, Craigslist, or Zillow.
The scammer will pretend to be the landlord, owner, or agent of the property. Usually the property itself may not even be involved and fake pictures may be posted to make the scam seem legit. Other times, the scammer may hijack or spoof an ad on one of these websites, but change the contact information. Then the scammer will try to stay in contact with the victim until money is exchanged. Here are a few things the scammer might do and signs to watch out for:
When you come across a potential scam, it’s important to spend the extra time to investigate the ad listing or rental property. A little five minute investigation can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars, so it doesn’t hurt to investigate!
It all comes down to taking the time to investigate a listing or rental before exchanging any form of money. A little bit of time and research will save you money in the long run by avoiding these rental scams. If you are a victim of a rental scam, you can submit a complaint to the FBI or your local authorities.
If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at 877-212-2450!
We also invite you to click on the following link to Interest: Look Out for Identity Theft: Tips and Tricks
We also invite you to click on the following link to see our reviews on yelp.
The true sign of a business is one that could take your money, but instead tells you the truth that they can't help. I spoke with Sandra on behalf of a friend that had some credit issues and she determined that based on his report, she couldn't help him at this time. This company is wonderful and I would recommend to all friends and family having credit issues.
Thanks again Sandra for your honesty.
I've known Sandra for at least 10 years. She is a phenomenal person to work with and a super hard worker that cares about people. Do not hesitate to work with her and her amazing team. Jeff is wonderful as well!!
Thank you, team Fix Your Credit Consulting you are amazing*****
Sandra is the best she is patient kind knowledgeable and undertaking and provides a judgement free zone no matter how many times you find yourself calling her because life kicked your butt again .
Jeff is also great and super helpful and always is super on top of everything he does and every phone call . I owe them for helping get my life back
When thinking about what I was grateful for over the past year one interesting thing came up as a standout.
Perhaps credit services are not the typical thing to be thankful for at this time of year, and perhaps not for all standard reasons you might expect to hear in a gratitude tribute, but it goes like this...
Sandra is not just experienced and knowledgeable, but also calming in her manner. She was not judgmental and through mutual sharing made me realize things can happen to anyone and not to feel ashamed for inquiring about the subject of credit and all of the 'fun' things that can go along with it etc.
One of the most important things I am grateful for is how she was able to lower my stress level by not only being kind, but also by being respectful and truly understanding.
I am so glad I reached out to get a fresh perspective and get my queries answered on the way to fixing any related issues that need fixing.
Thank you so much again.
