Planet Antares Scam – Beware of Home Rental Complaints
A new scam is making the rounds and this one targets prospective renters. A scammer lists a home for rent on a site like Craigslist. The scammer indicates that the home is vacant and the owners are on an extended trip to Africa. The ad seeks a deposit, which is to be sent to the “owner” in Africa. Unfortunately, the rental is a fake and deposits sent to the lister are lost.
A variation of this scam involves a vacant home that is in the foreclosure process. The scammer lists the home on Craigslist for a low price and with no credit check required. The scam artist meets the prospective tenant at a location, accepts a deposit and takes off.
Here are a few tips to avoid rental scams.
If you’re unfamiliar with the city in which you’re renting, contact the county clerk’s office to verify property ownership information. The clerk may also be able to tell you whether the home is in foreclosure. Since foreclosing homeowners often fall behind in their tax payments, check with the tax assessor to see if the taxes on the home have been paid. If the home is vacant and the taxes are unpaid, those are good clues that the home is being foreclosed and isn’t really available for rental.
Do not send deposits or rental funds out of the country for rental property. If the offer is legitimate and the owners are truly out of the country, they will likely have made care taking arrangements with someone local. People don’t simply leave the country without making plans for assets as valuable as a home.
Check the local property listings for homes for sale. A scammer may choose an empty home for sale to make the rental offer look more legitimate. If the home is listed, contact the seller’s agent for more information on the property.
Attempt to contact the owner of the home directly. Ask for a direct phone number or ask to see the home prior to renting it. If neither of these things is possible or if the “landlord” can’t let you into the home, it’s a good bet that the rental opportunity is a scam. Leave without placing a deposit on the home.
Do not pay any rental deposits in cash. If the “landlord” asks for a cash deposit, offer to provide a cashier’s check or bank check instead. If that’s not acceptable, look elsewhere.
