Craigslist Scammers on the Rise!
Homes for sale, for rent, and even automobiles are being scammed on Pensacola Craigslist.
With craigslist scams on the rise, here are our top 3 tips on how to spot craigslist scam ads.
1. Look at the contact information (or lack thereof!)
2. The price looks good; almost too good to be true! Scammers always drop the rent on the house. Take our infographic to the right- these are actual homes that we rented, with acutal prices, and the actual prices that Craigslist Scammers used. Most of the rents are reduced in half of what market rent is. They make you think you are getting a great deal, with reduced rent and deposits, but in actuality they are trying to take advantage of you. Realistically, who rents their home for half of the actual value?
3. Google the address. You should do this before you rent or purchase any home in the Pensacola area. Do you see it listed with another real estate agency for sale or for rent? Scammers are even taking homes listed for sale and offering them for rent online. If you see a real estate professional attached to that address, call them! Also, another good way is to drive by the home. Many of them have For Sale or For Rent signs in the front yard which you can verify by calling the number on the sign.
For more information on Craigslist Scams, examples of scams, and how to report them, visit our in-depth blog here. If you are looking for a (real) home to rent in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pace, Milton, or Navarre, visit our website at www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com or give us a call at (850) 473-3983.
Until next time,
Nicole St. Aubin, Broker Associate
Realty Masters of FL~ (850) 473-3983
Over 45 Pensacola Homes www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com
Like us on Facebook~ Watch us on Youtube~ Follow our Pins
Homes for sale, for rent, and even automobiles are being scammed on Pensacola Craigslist.
With craigslist scams on the rise, here are our top 3 tips on how to spot craigslist scam ads.
1. Look at the contact information (or lack thereof!)
- Come on, if they really want to rent their home, they will provide you a local phone number. If there is no phone number, it's likely a scam.
- Similiarly, most of the scams we have seen have an email address that is some variation of the property owners name. The scammers use county tax records and usually a free website host to create a fake email address using the owners name.
- Also, the biggest red flag is when they ask you to send over your personal information or money orders to another country. Most of the scammers do not live in the United States. Their reasons for leaving the US vary, but they most always ask you to send money to another country.
- Most scammers communicate via email solely, and often misspell words or have broken, improper English.
2. The price looks good; almost too good to be true! Scammers always drop the rent on the house. Take our infographic to the right- these are actual homes that we rented, with acutal prices, and the actual prices that Craigslist Scammers used. Most of the rents are reduced in half of what market rent is. They make you think you are getting a great deal, with reduced rent and deposits, but in actuality they are trying to take advantage of you. Realistically, who rents their home for half of the actual value? 3. Google the address. You should do this before you rent or purchase any home in the Pensacola area. Do you see it listed with another real estate agency for sale or for rent? Scammers are even taking homes listed for sale and offering them for rent online. If you see a real estate professional attached to that address, call them! Also, another good way is to drive by the home. Many of them have For Sale or For Rent signs in the front yard which you can verify by calling the number on the sign.
For more information on Craigslist Scams, examples of scams, and how to report them, visit our in-depth blog here. If you are looking for a (real) home to rent in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pace, Milton, or Navarre, visit our website at www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com or give us a call at (850) 473-3983.
Until next time,
Nicole St. Aubin, Broker Associate
Realty Masters of FL~ (850) 473-3983
Over 45 Pensacola Homes www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com
Like us on Facebook~ Watch us on Youtube~ Follow our Pins