Murray, Ky.–The Murray Police Department has received a couple reports of a common scam that has occurred across the nation. The scam involves rental property and luring the victim in to paying rent or a deposit to a person that does not own the property.
In many instances the scammer will use an actual listing of a property that is for rent, or even for sale. The victim might go look at the property and see that it is for sale or rent, but the landlord is “not available”. When the victim contacts the scammer they provide reasons why they are not available and can sound very convincing, usually stating that some type of emergency came up. They will also in many cases request money to be wired somewhere or done in a very specific manner and will send you the keys as soon as possible.
With many rental properties available it is difficult to spot a fraudulent listing. To avoid becoming a victim of a rental property scam the Federal Trade Commission warns against adhering to requests for a security deposit or first month’s rent before you’ve signed the lease and met the landlord in person.
Also, be aware of a “landlord” ready to make a deal to rent or sell a place with no background of the tenant’s financial ability. With only email or text conversations and no background the person is likely only looking for that one-time payment from you.
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