BRIGANTINE — Police in Brigantine warned the public of an online scam involving rental property advertised on Craigslist.
This type of scam is common and can be accomplished by anyone, anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.
Typically, this type of real estate scam will target people looking to rent a house. The scammers use classified ads, as well as websites such as Craigslist to post these ads. Once contacted, the scammer will give the excuse that they are out of the country and cannot show the residence, but will provide pictures. The scammer will then direct the renter to wire money to them in exchange for keys. Scammers often use foreclosed homes or homes that are being sold to commit this type of fraud.
Here are some tips to avoid being scammed when looking to rent a residence:
1) Never send money without being shown the residence by a realtor and or owner of the property.
2) Be wary of rentals that are “too good to be true.” Scammers sometimes use very low monthly payments to attract renters.
3) Get a written rental agreement.
4) Be suspicious if the owner doesn’t want any information about you.
5) Be suspicious if the owner cannot show you the residence and claims to be ‘out of the country’.
If you feel that you are being scammed contact your local Police Department. You can also file a complaint with Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), http://www.ic3.gov/
If anyone has information please contact Detective Ralph Spina at 609-266-7414
