High-tech rental scam targets unsuspecting house hunters

Table of Content

• CPD officer stabbed, suspect shot during hostage situation: police
• AMERICAN HOMES 4 RENT Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported
• Daughter shot 75-year-old mom in the head: Sheriff's office
• How to Get Help With International Moves
• How to Protect Yourself from Scams Targeting Renters
• Sign Up to Receive Email Updates

And when you click on the "let yourself in" option you're directed to a third-party service called Rently, where you register with a credit card. The office may explain your legal rights as a landlord. Also ask how to file a complaint against a renter or potential renter. The owner or agent requires you to sign the lease before you see the rental property. Report a rental scam to your state consumer protection or local law enforcement. On the 5 rental properties we went to, we did not find any lockbox hanger warning us about wire transfers/fraud.

The "let yourself in" feature on the website allows you to get into homes whenever you are ready. Valerie says the supposed owner even contacted her landlord to get a reference. She thought she was about to get her dream home so she paid all that she had to secure the house. Valerie wired the first month rent and a security deposit of $1,700 to Darelle T. Williams, who claimed to be the owner. The next day, she went to the house to get the keys, but noticed something was wrong.

CPD officer stabbed, suspect shot during hostage situation: police

Cyclists are also asked to slow down and get off their bikes when passing the flock.

We’ve reimagined single-family living to make leasing your ideal home easy, accessible and delightful. Learn more about what we offer, who we are and how you can join our team today. Learn more about international moves and how to protect yourself and your household belongings. Don’t let movers start packing your goods into the truck without reviewing the contract and estimate again. In general, estimates are based on time, the number of movers needed, who does the packing, and the number of rooms to be moved.

AMERICAN HOMES 4 RENT Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported

If you're offering a property for lease, it's important to be aware of renter's scams. Get a copy of the lease, signed by both you and the property owner/manager. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to not fall victim to a rental scam, which is apparently running rampant in the county. At this Bolingbrook home, we went through the same process and once again I was texted the lockbox code, and Jason got right into the home.

I sent Knowles to those homes to see if I could get him access. Once I was done, I locked the door and put the key back in the lockbox and checked out of the home on Rently's website. I checked out the homes in Raleigh's Brier Creek community. Valerie contacted the person who claimed to be the owner. "I was looking for a place to stay because my current landlord is selling the place," Valerie said.

Daughter shot 75-year-old mom in the head: Sheriff's office

This would replace a current outdoor football practice field on the site, as well as some parking and an existing internal access road. We outlined some of the most significant additions, which, if built, would call for some existing buildings and facilities to be torn down. The number coincides with the picture above.A new indoor tennis center directly south of the Arguinchona complex.

Don’t wire money as a deposit or payment for the first and last month's rent. Wiring money is the same as giving cash; you can't get a refund, even if you find out the offer was a fraud. If you found the rental ad online, report the scam to the website where it was posted. Also, file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

No party other than a qualified manager can add listings to the system. This makes it impossible to add a fraudulent listing via Rently . It is our policy to cooperate with local law enforcement to help catch suspected scammers by providing online footprint information. Rently provides a self showing technology to property managers. Our system allows registered renters to view properties listed on the system without an appointment. Property managers are notified in real time of all activity on the system.

He was able to go right into the home as if he was a potential renter. Once at the home, I clicked the "Let Yourself In" button on American Homes 4 Rents' website on my phone so I could enter the property myself. I was then directed to Rently's website where I had to entered my account information. On the lockbox there is a barcode, I typed that barcode in, and within seconds was texted the code to open the lockbox. On Rently, I did have to enter a credit card number and pay 99 cents to access up to 20 homes.

Or find a government certified housing counselor near you.Read more about foreclosure scams and find phone numbers to call for help. Don’t give your personal information or Social Security number to a property owner without verifying their identity. Don’t pay a security deposit, fee, or first month’s rent before you’ve signed a lease.

Rently takes extensive measures to ensure the security of properties against scammers. At the time of registration when a user and password is created, we text the new prospective renter to beware of scams. We also warn not to share the registration pin with third parties. Additionally, there is a lockbox hanger at each property that warns against wire transfers/fraud that is on the front door. The signage indicates to the renter who they should be dealing with for leasing activities. Rently also has algorithms that prevent suspicious activity; such as blocking overseas registrations, fake numbers, and fake credit cards.

A scammer could have copied the photo or description of another rental to use in their ad. The scammer makes plans to meet the renter at the listing, then calls at the last minute to say they can’t make it but gives the lockbox code. After the person tours the home, they receive a message from the scammer saying they were “approved” and asking for payment . Once the money is sent, it’s gone for good and very hard to trace.

Also, if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is. The company has a "B" rating with BBB, due to 24 complaints ranging on a variety of issues. Even after reporting to American Homes 4 Rent that she had been scammed, she says the company did nothing as she says a rep just hung up on her. I was able to give him the lockbox code to get him in the house, as if I owned it myself.