Be Careful – Fake Rental Properties Are Popping Up Around Michigan
The housing market is in a tough spot right now and scam artists are taking full advantage of vulnerable people by scamming them out of their money and potentially their future homes.
The Federal Trade Commission says rental scams are all too common with scammers advertising rentals that aren't available, are really homes for sale, or don't even exist at all.
Brown says warning signs of a rental scam include:
You are told to wire money for the deposit or pay with gift cards, Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle.
The landlord wants a security deposit or rent before signing a lease.
The landlord says they're out of the state or country, so they can't take you to tour the rental right now. Source:WXYZ.com
It's crazy that scammers are straight-up taking advantage of desperate people. This whole article makes me so upset I just wish I could get my hands on a rental home scammer. Can you imagine being in a tough spot, and you finally find a place and you spend your hard-earned money just to get scammed? Do your best to protect yourself from these evil people by checking out some of the tips above. Remember, these are just tips on what the scammers are currently doing. The game evolves and changes every week. One moment we've got an idea of how to avoid scammers and the next they've got a whole new system.
The best thing you can do moving forward into this new age is to question everything. Especially if it involves anything to do with cash delivery apps like Cashapp...