The South Coast Real Estate Round-Up

WARNING!! Craigslist Real Estate SCAM in FALL RIVER

March 2nd, 2014 10:58 PM by Christopher Terry

This Craigslist SCAM is not new but is currently occurring in Fall River. Don't be fooled by this ingenious scam designed to take your hard earned cash!

How the scam works: The con artist, or crook, hijacks a photo and property description of a real property, usually one that has been for sale or rent, then runs an ad of their own. They claim to be the owner and have the correct owners name and information so if you checked public records the names would match. When you contact them they claim to be out of town and that they can send you an application. They are very convincing and the application is quite detailed however the RED FLAG is that they ask for a deposit in advance of you seeing the property. 


ACTUAL SCAM CRAIGSLIST AD:

Above is an actual scam rental posting on Craigslist. This home is actually listed for sale with a real estate brokerage sign in the yard. When perspective victims drove by to look at the house they called the brokerage and discovered the truth about the scam. The homeowner has contacted the Fall River police department and Craigslist. However as of this blog post Craigslist has not responded and the ad is still active.

Unfortunately many times the home is not listed for sale with a brokerage sign in the yard so neither the homeowner nor the potential victim are aware of the ongoing scam.

If you are considering renting your home or looking to rent a home use the services of a property management company or real estate brokerage office. It could be the best MOVE you make!

Christopher Terry is a licensed real estate broker in Ma and RI, has completed the Accredited Buyer Representative Certification, is a graduate of the Certified Distressed Property Institute, holds the prestigious CDPE designation, is a 4-Time winner of the Master Sales Society's 5/50 Award and is the founder of EZ Home Search Real Estate Inc.

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Posted by Christopher Terry on March 2nd, 2014 10:58 PM

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