A Twist on the Craiglist Rental Scam

The craigslist scam has been around for years. Scammer steals photos from the MLS, puts up a craigslist ad for a house for rent (that is on the market) for a “it must be too good to be true” price. Think a $2500/month rental for $1,000/month.

We’ve all seen that. But this is new.

This is a new one sent to me by a friend. The following is the “seller’s” response to a request to see a property “for rent.” Note that the scammer is going to the County GIS site to find the seller’s name to lend an air of legitimacy to the scam.

I am (actual seller’s name) and thanks for showing interest in my property which is currently available. Please feel free to check with the property assessor to be sure you are dealing with the owner of the house, if you are not interested in moving anytime soon then this house is not for you as i am not looking to wait forever before renting it out, i posted this house on Craigslist for rent not because i am in need of money but to have someone live there and take good care of the house as if he/she own it. I got a new job in California and i wouldn’t want the house to be locked without no one living in there, i was working with a Realtor earlier but i noticed he inflated the rent and security deposit so i took the property off him and decided to rent it out myself and that was why i posted the advert. i am sure by now he would have removed his sign and if he hasn’t he will very soon.

I will be renting out the house for $895.00(Including Utilities) water,gas and garbage and a security deposit of $900.00(refundable) $200 for each pet as pet deposit (negotiable)please no aggressive pet.

THE ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY IS :(address redacted) Charlottesville, VA 22903

The house has a washer and dryer with hookups , interior is clean and kitchen is perfect and equipped , home is in 100% condition.

Note: I am currently not dealing with any Realtor, any conversation or dealings with them is at your own risk. Our email conversations will be kept just in case of any unforeseen circumstance arises. So with being said i expect that you deal with me directly as the owner of the property. Lastly i do not want to waste each others time in reaching a reasonable conclusion about this property so i hope we can converse in timely manner and reach a conclusion soon enough.

If you are willing to work with my situation, let me know so that we can discuss the rent further, thanks,

-(actual seller name)

Watch out, folks. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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1 Comment

  1. Josh May 29, 2020 at 18:37

    Thanks for posting. Helped me verify it was a scam. Text I recieved

    I am ZHANG LI CHAO and thanks for showing interest in my property which is currently available. Please feel free to check with the property assessor to be sure you are dealing with the owner of the house, I was working with a Realtor earlier but I noticed they’d inflated the rent price and and added other charges I am not aware of I had no choice than to take the property off the Realtor and decided to rent it out myself and that was why I posted the advert on Craigslist. I’m sure by now they would have removed the for rent sign and if they haven’t, they will very soon. I got called up for a new job in LA and I am hoping to find a responsible tenant that I can trust with my property as I am not looking to move back anytime soon and i want you to know that money is not the main reason why I want to rent my property out, I truly wouldn’t want the house empty while I am away so this is the basic reason why I am renting it out personally perhaps I can find a good tenant whom will be willing to take care of it and keep it in good condition as if he/she own it as you can see from the interior pictures, the property is meticulously cared for.

    Details about the house:

    Property is located at 12705 27th Ave NE, Seattle, WA
    Rent: $2,500
    Security Deposit: $2,200 (Refundable)
    Pet Deposit: $200
    Bedroom: 6
    Bathroom: 3
    Utilities included in rent are water, sewer and garbage only,home is in 100% condition.

    Kindly tell me how you could take care of the property or perhaps the experience you have in renting a house and a little bit about yourself. You can drive by the property to look around and if possible peek through the window for a better view of how the inside looks like. I have attached interior pictures of the house to this email please check for attachment.

    Note: I am currently not dealing with any Realtor, any conversation or dealings with them is at your own risk. Our email conversations will be kept just in case of any unforeseen circumstance arises. So with being said i expect that you deal with me directly as the owner of the property. Lastly i do not want to waste each others time in reaching a reasonable conclusion about this property so i hope we can converse in timely manner and reach a conclusion soon enough.

    Best regards,
    ZHANG LI CHAO+CHEN YANPING

    Reply

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