BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It’s no shock to anyone that it’s becoming increasingly expensive to find a place to live and with rental prices going up each year, it’s important for local renters to lookout for scams.
- Rob Mosher said it's been several years since he's had to shop the housing market so as he looked for somewhere affordable, he decided to check out Facebook Marketplace.
- As his search began, one thing became very clear to him: not every listing is reputable.
It’s no shock to anyone that it’s becoming increasingly expensive to find a place to live and with rental prices going up each year, it’s important for local renters to lookout for scams.
Rob Mosher is entering a new chapter in life. After living a small house in Oildale for the last few months and saving, he's ready to upgrade his home.
“I kind wanted to stay around $1,000 to $1,200," he said. "I was shocked seeing all these high prices.“
Mosher said it's been several years since he's had to shop the housing market so as he looked for somewhere affordable, he decided to check out Facebook Marketplace. As his search began, one thing became very clear to him: not every listing is reputable.
“I started seeing lower prices for nicer homes and that’s when I started to catch on," he said. “For example this house is listed for $1,800 a month. So I scroll until I find the address and then I'll go to Google or Zillow, in this case it’ll have it listed as $2,250. So that’s a $400 difference.”
Mosher said once he caught on, he began seeing more listings like that one. He pulled up a listing for a 4-bed, 2-bath home on Facebook Marketplace, renting for $1,780 a month. However, that same home on Zillow, estimated at over $3,200.
Mosher decided to test one listing, reaching out to the lister over Messenger. He aside the scams he's come across aren't trying to get a large down payment or showers fee. Instead, they ask for $50-$70 as an application fee.
“They always say it’s fully refundable to gain your confidence," Mosher said.
After paying the fee over Zelle, he said he never heard back. He attempted to have the charge
disputed through his bank, but he said he had no luck.
In 2021, the FBI reported 11,578 people fell victim to online rental scams, losing over $350 million. While 50 dollars may not amount to grand theft, Mosher said he understands for many that could be the difference between buying groceries or getting gas that week, which is why he wants folks to be aware.
“If the price fluctuates, then it’s probably not a good deal. If you’re a property owner, either go through a property management company or list it yourself," he said.
If you’re looking for a place to rent, you can check out Facebook Marketplace, but make sure to cross check those listings and use a reputable licensed broker or property management company.
Here are other red flags to watch out for:
- Scammers will use the information (such as photos and descriptions) provided from legitimate sources to make their listings look credible. The only difference: the contact information.
- Scammers chat directly with unsuspecting tenants through Messenger, by text, or email to build trust. They will say anything to trick you into sending them money.
- Scammers posing as landlords or agents may invite you to see the property in person to increase their legitimacy. They are willing to trespass on private property and have you do so with them to gain your trust. Sometimes, they may not even appear at the site and request you to view the property on your own.
- Scammers make prospecting tenants pay in cash or through platforms like PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, then disappear once they have taken your money. Victims that have lost money almost never get it back.
- Scammers often use throwaway accounts which have been recently created or hacked into. You cannot trust that the scammer will use their real identity, and often these accounts disappear once they have been reported or blocked. This doesn't stop the scammers from making new accounts and doing their scams again.
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