| Scam Alert Info Reprint of an original Rent Lizard.com Article |
In an effort to combat online rental listing fraud, RentLizard.com
developed this resource to help inform tenants of rental property scams
that are active on the web. We hope that you find this resource a
valuable tool to keep your information secure and help you avoid any
potential losses to fraudulent schemes.
The amount of fraud that is taking place with rental listings seems to be
increasing on a daily basis. RentLizard.com is taking a proactive
approach to this activity and will do everything we can to educate you
and keep you updated on the latest "tricks" that these fraudsters are
trying to utilize to take advantage of unsuspecting landlords and renters.
We'll do that by providing the following:
•An updated listing/repository of known scam listings and associated
contact information
•Users can bring to our attention listings that appear to be bogus and
we'll research and post those that are.
•We'll post articles on what to look out for so that you won't be taken by
one of these scams.
•We'll alert our users of the latest and important activity as it relates to
rental scams via our Twitter and Facebook pages. If you've not done so
already, be sure and click those links to sign up. It's completely free and
the pages are used to educate our followers.
HOW RENTAL SCAMS WORK
The significant advances in technology have made looking for a
prospective new place to live almost too easy. Our society has come to
expect to be able to complete tasks in very quick fashion, and
technology has enabled folks to do much of that. Nowadays you can go
online, peruse rental property listings, look at images of prospective
properties, immediately apply online for those that interest you, and
whammy, you're ready to go...all without having to leave your home!
Unfortunately, that quick and easy access to information has also
created a target for thieves to take advantage of. Our own urgency in
wanting to wrap up what for many have become mundane tasks
(hunting for a new home) doesn't help. You put these two elements
together and there's bound to be trouble.
If you're relocating to another geographic area, and it's difficult to go
personally look at prospective property before moving, you absolutely
need to pay close attention to the folks you're working with. Moving to a
new place without personally inspecting it and/or meeting your new
landlord is not recommended. You're really setting yourself up for a
potential fall.
It's unfortunate, but rental property scams appear to be occurring with
an ever-increasing rate. Commonly known or referred to as the
"craigslist scams", rental scams are occurring all over the Internet, at
multiple rental property websites. The scams are not just limited to
listings on craigslist. The first of these scams appeared on craigslist
(hence the term "craigslist scam") and have now spread to other
classified ad and rental property sites, especially those that don't
charge to post ads. There are currently numerous variations on how the
scam works, but most have very common themes in them that help to
identify that a perpetrator is up to no good.
This is how the scam works. The scammer first begins scouring the
Internet for legitimate real estate listings. In many cases, he'll go
through live listings of homes that are listed for sale. These listings are
targeted, as in most cases the scammer is trying to locate properties
that are currently empty and unoccupied. Additionally, homes that are
located in nicer neighborhoods will be focused on. Once a "target"
property has been identified, the scammer will copy photos and other
information about the house. The more photos the listing has the
better. The scammer will simply copy photos and property features, and
then use that content to create a bogus rental property ad for posting on
online classified advertising sites or rental listing sites. In minutes,
content from a real home listing is used to create a bogus listing that to
most all users will look very real and legitimate. In many cases, he'll
additionally take the name of someone that's posted a legitimate ad.
He simply changes the email address and phone number contact
information, though it's not uncommon for the fraudster to not even
provide a phone number.
Don't think that rental scams only affect renters. These scams affect
both renters and property managers. For example a real rental listing
might be posted by the property manager, and along comes someone
else posing as the owner - posting the same property but for a lower
rate.
There are many recurring indicators that help identify whether or not a
listing may be part of a scam. Most of those indicators appear in email
communications from the scammer. However, some of the first flags
can appear in the listing itself. One of those indicators is the rental rate
that's posted for the property. Scammers will generally post bogus ads
that have rent rates well below comparable properties located in the
same geographic area as the scam post. In many instances, rent rates
for the bogus listing will be as much as half of what the going rent rate
is for a comparable property. Most legitimate rental listing ads will
contain a contact phone number. If no phone number is listed, this may
be a sign that the ad could be fraudulent. Most of the scams will utilize
email as the main mode of communication with you, so if no phone
number is provided with the listing, put your guard up and look to see if
the ad has some of the additional potential "red flags".
Generally, if you see a rental that piques your interest, the first thing
you're inclined to do is pick up the phone and call the property owner.
Here comes another flag. Recent (2010) scams now involve the use of
relay services as primary contact phone numbers for the fraud
perpetrator. Relay services are intended to be used by someone who
may be deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled. If you call the contact
number and are greeted by an operator for some relay service asking
you what message you'd like to leave, be wary. Scammers will also
establish answering machines to field their incoming calls. They'll
respond back to inquirers via email only - never personally taking calls.
It's the emails that come from scam artists that contain the bulk of the
clues indicating that a listing may be fraudulent. Again, some of these
red flags vary, but the scams generally operate in similar fashion. Let's
take a look at some of the things to watch in email.
Take a look at the email address from email that you receive from the
person listing the ad. A large number of legitimate property owners will
use email addresses with extensions that include their company name.
For example, let's say John is a property manager for a mythical
apartment complex called Heathergreen Commons. He might have an
email address of John@HeathergreenCommons.com. Email
addresses that are from one of the free email services such as yahoo.
com or gmail.com, or addresses that have extensions other than .com,
could indicate possible fraud. Scammers almost exclusively use email
addresses from the free providers. A good number of private rental
owners themselves utilize free email addresses, so this is not a strong
indicator of a scam, just one to watch for and measure with other "red
flag" indicators.
Emails that contain poor english or grammar, and poor spelling should
immediately raise your suspicion. A large number of rental scams
originate overseas, primarily in Nigeria, and the perpetrators tend to
have little formal education, especially in English. If the supposed rental
owner claims that he/she is overseas or out of the country and requests
everything to be handled via email, you should be putting a guard up as
this is a strong indicator of potential fraud. Generally, it's that first email
communication you get that the scammer will state they're overseas -
either in the military, on vacation, or even in the midst of a move
overseas.
Watch to see if the name of the person you're dealing with changes
suddenly. Some of these guys operate with a bunch of alias names
and they commonly forget which of those aliases they're using. A
sudden name change in who you're communicating with is a red flag.
If additional communications ask that you send or wire any monies
and/or rental applications to another country, it's about time to walk.
Chances are pretty solid that you're dealing with someone out to take
you. This is one of the biggest red flags that someone may be up to no
good. If at any time you're asked to send money overseas, be very, very
wary. The scammer will generally ask you to wire money to an overseas
account in order to get the keys to the property. In many instances,
they'll mention that they need your money for a security deposit in return
for them sending you the keys. He'll tell you that you can simply return
the keys if you don't like the property, and the security deposit will be
mailed back to you. Only problem - once you wire the money, consider it
gone for good. Oh, and those keys? Obviously they won't work... if you're
ever mailed any.
The scammer may make mention that the home is for sale. Or, you may
even run by the house yourself to check it out and see a "For Sale" sign
in the yard. Don't brush this off. This may be an indicator that the listing
was plucked from a realtor site or homes for sale site. Get online and
google the address to see what you come up with. If you see multiple
listings for the property - both rental and for-sale listings, your guard
should be up.
Recent scams seem to have become more brazen in nature. These
scams are the ones that are being perpetrated by scammers here in
the U.S. and go to show that not all scams are originating from
overseas. In fact, scams originating in the U.S. appear to be occurring
with greater frequency. The scammer will actually break into the target
property and pose as the owner. They'll even go so far as to sign a
lease and take monies from unsuspecting victims while posing as a
legitimate landlord. It's not uncommon for this stunt to be pulled using
one property with numerous people falling as victims trying to rent that
same property.
Many people are being taken by these scams. Can you imagine having
mailed off security deposit monies, packing your belongings up and
then jumping in your car to begin an exciting move into your new home.
You get there, unload your goods and furnishings, and sit down for a
brief minute to relax. The doorbell rings and you go to answer it. Some
guy appears and he's not happy! It's the real owner of the property
asking what the hell you're doing in his property. Don't think it can't
happen to you. This scene is being played out all across America. Be
vigilant. Take your time, take your house hunting seriously, and be very
precautionary while seeking a new place to live. Always remember to
use the old "sniff test". If something looks or sounds too good to be
true, it likely is.
SPOTTING A SCAM - "RED FLAGS" THAT INDICATE A LISTING MIGHT
BE FRAUD
There are a number of things to watch for that might indicate a listing is
not real. Let's take a look at some of those.
1. Can't personally talk to the property manager or owner.
In a large number of the rental scams, you won't be able to personally
speak with the property owner or manager. Instead, most of the
communication takes place with you via email. In many cases, the
listing may not even have a contact phone number - just an email
address as a way of communicating with the purported owner. If a
phone number is provided, it will always go to an answering machine,
and subsequent correspondence from the ad poster will be through
email, not a return phone call. Recent (2010) cases involve the use of
relay services as primary contact phone numbers for the fraud
perpetrator. Relay services are intended to be used by someone who
may be deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled. Consider this one of
those red flags. If you call the contact number and are greeted by an
operator for some relay service asking you what message you'd like to
leave, be wary.
2. The purported property owner or manager is unable to meet you at
the property for showings.
The scammers never seem to be able to meet in person. Instead,
they're always "out of the country" on business, on vacation, or serving
military duty. They'll want to conduct all business over the Internet, via
email. It's not uncommon for a legitimate property owner or landlord to
ask you to go by a prospective rental property and see if it might be
something that will pique your interest. However, your guard should be
up if you're told that you need to mail off a security deposit before you
get the keys mailed to you for checking out the interior.
3. Poor grammar, poor punctuation, and wording in communications
that just don't sound right or make sense.
Everyone goofs in their spelling and wording from time-to-time. But
when you're getting emails from a purported rental owner that's riddled
with these strange-sounding sentences, it's time to put your guard back
up. As a large number of rental scams originate overseas, primarily in
Nigeria, the perpetrators tend to have little formal education, especially
in English. Emails that appear to have been written by someone who is
not a native English-speaker, should send up a red flag. Here's a
sample sentence taken from a scammer's email that was sent to an
unsuspecting renter:
After receiving the keys and you are not okay with the house, your
money is refundable, and our keys should not spent upto 5days with
you, before posting it back to us, otherwise, we will agree that you are
okay with the house.
Take note of the poor grammar and how it appears to have been written
by someone that doesn't really have a good grasp of the English
language.
4. Communication with the purported property owner involves differing
contact names
If you're communicating with what appears to be the property owner via
email, and the name of that contact changes, time to put that guard up.
For example, you see a rental listing that's of interest and you email the
owner. Let's say his name is Mark Landry. Subsequent emails from
the rental poster then originate from a different name - say Jim Pardo.
This might indicate a scam, especially if the original primary contact (in
this case Mark Landry), hadn't indicated to you at some point that he
was going to have one of his assistants work with you as well.
5. The rental property is listed way under comparable properties in the
same neighborhood.
In an effort to generate a large amount of interest in the scam rental
posting, the fraudster will generally list the rental at a rate that is
significantly undercutting rental rates for the same type of property in the
same general area or neighborhood. In many instances, the rent rate
is posted at a rate that's half the price of other rental listings in that
same geographic area. This is not to say that a legitimate landlord may
be running some sort of good deal on a rental. That may very well be
the case. But many, many times, the old addage "if it sounds too good
to be true, it likely is", comes into play. If you see an outrageously low
rent rate on a property, your guard should be up.
6. You're asked to transfer money overseas.
This is one of the biggest red flags that someone may be up to no
good. If at any time you're asked to send money overseas, be very, very
wary. The scammer will generally ask you to wire money to an
overseas account in order to get the keys to the property. In many
instances, they'll mention that they need your money for a security
deposit in return for them sending you the keys. The scammer will
additionally mention that you can simply return the keys if you don't like
the property, and the security deposit will be mailed back to you. Only
problem - once you wire the money, consider it gone for good. Oh, and
those keys? Obviously they won't work if you're ever mailed any.
There are numerous indicators that should tip you off that you might be
dealing with someone that's up to no good. The majority of these red
flags will present themselves in the email communication that you
receive from the supposed property owner or manager. Take note of
these indicators. An astonishingly large number of people are being
taken advantage of by these scams. If at any time you suspect that you
might be dealing with a potential scam artist, don't hesitate to take
some time and be sure you're fully comfortable with any transaction that
you might be about to enter. Use county tax assessor and auditor
websites to verify the actual owners of properties. Don't be afraid to
"call out" potential fraudsters by asking them to personally meet you at
the property to conduct business. Never transfer any monies or divulge
any personal identification information until you are fully comfortable
that you are dealing with a reputable person. As with any potential
business transaction, if you at any time think that it's too good to be true,
go with your gut feeling, as it likely is too good to be true!
developed this resource to help inform tenants of rental property scams
that are active on the web. We hope that you find this resource a
valuable tool to keep your information secure and help you avoid any
potential losses to fraudulent schemes.
The amount of fraud that is taking place with rental listings seems to be
increasing on a daily basis. RentLizard.com is taking a proactive
approach to this activity and will do everything we can to educate you
and keep you updated on the latest "tricks" that these fraudsters are
trying to utilize to take advantage of unsuspecting landlords and renters.
We'll do that by providing the following:
•An updated listing/repository of known scam listings and associated
contact information
•Users can bring to our attention listings that appear to be bogus and
we'll research and post those that are.
•We'll post articles on what to look out for so that you won't be taken by
one of these scams.
•We'll alert our users of the latest and important activity as it relates to
rental scams via our Twitter and Facebook pages. If you've not done so
already, be sure and click those links to sign up. It's completely free and
the pages are used to educate our followers.
HOW RENTAL SCAMS WORK
The significant advances in technology have made looking for a
prospective new place to live almost too easy. Our society has come to
expect to be able to complete tasks in very quick fashion, and
technology has enabled folks to do much of that. Nowadays you can go
online, peruse rental property listings, look at images of prospective
properties, immediately apply online for those that interest you, and
whammy, you're ready to go...all without having to leave your home!
Unfortunately, that quick and easy access to information has also
created a target for thieves to take advantage of. Our own urgency in
wanting to wrap up what for many have become mundane tasks
(hunting for a new home) doesn't help. You put these two elements
together and there's bound to be trouble.
If you're relocating to another geographic area, and it's difficult to go
personally look at prospective property before moving, you absolutely
need to pay close attention to the folks you're working with. Moving to a
new place without personally inspecting it and/or meeting your new
landlord is not recommended. You're really setting yourself up for a
potential fall.
It's unfortunate, but rental property scams appear to be occurring with
an ever-increasing rate. Commonly known or referred to as the
"craigslist scams", rental scams are occurring all over the Internet, at
multiple rental property websites. The scams are not just limited to
listings on craigslist. The first of these scams appeared on craigslist
(hence the term "craigslist scam") and have now spread to other
classified ad and rental property sites, especially those that don't
charge to post ads. There are currently numerous variations on how the
scam works, but most have very common themes in them that help to
identify that a perpetrator is up to no good.
This is how the scam works. The scammer first begins scouring the
Internet for legitimate real estate listings. In many cases, he'll go
through live listings of homes that are listed for sale. These listings are
targeted, as in most cases the scammer is trying to locate properties
that are currently empty and unoccupied. Additionally, homes that are
located in nicer neighborhoods will be focused on. Once a "target"
property has been identified, the scammer will copy photos and other
information about the house. The more photos the listing has the
better. The scammer will simply copy photos and property features, and
then use that content to create a bogus rental property ad for posting on
online classified advertising sites or rental listing sites. In minutes,
content from a real home listing is used to create a bogus listing that to
most all users will look very real and legitimate. In many cases, he'll
additionally take the name of someone that's posted a legitimate ad.
He simply changes the email address and phone number contact
information, though it's not uncommon for the fraudster to not even
provide a phone number.
Don't think that rental scams only affect renters. These scams affect
both renters and property managers. For example a real rental listing
might be posted by the property manager, and along comes someone
else posing as the owner - posting the same property but for a lower
rate.
There are many recurring indicators that help identify whether or not a
listing may be part of a scam. Most of those indicators appear in email
communications from the scammer. However, some of the first flags
can appear in the listing itself. One of those indicators is the rental rate
that's posted for the property. Scammers will generally post bogus ads
that have rent rates well below comparable properties located in the
same geographic area as the scam post. In many instances, rent rates
for the bogus listing will be as much as half of what the going rent rate
is for a comparable property. Most legitimate rental listing ads will
contain a contact phone number. If no phone number is listed, this may
be a sign that the ad could be fraudulent. Most of the scams will utilize
email as the main mode of communication with you, so if no phone
number is provided with the listing, put your guard up and look to see if
the ad has some of the additional potential "red flags".
Generally, if you see a rental that piques your interest, the first thing
you're inclined to do is pick up the phone and call the property owner.
Here comes another flag. Recent (2010) scams now involve the use of
relay services as primary contact phone numbers for the fraud
perpetrator. Relay services are intended to be used by someone who
may be deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled. If you call the contact
number and are greeted by an operator for some relay service asking
you what message you'd like to leave, be wary. Scammers will also
establish answering machines to field their incoming calls. They'll
respond back to inquirers via email only - never personally taking calls.
It's the emails that come from scam artists that contain the bulk of the
clues indicating that a listing may be fraudulent. Again, some of these
red flags vary, but the scams generally operate in similar fashion. Let's
take a look at some of the things to watch in email.
Take a look at the email address from email that you receive from the
person listing the ad. A large number of legitimate property owners will
use email addresses with extensions that include their company name.
For example, let's say John is a property manager for a mythical
apartment complex called Heathergreen Commons. He might have an
email address of John@HeathergreenCommons.com. Email
addresses that are from one of the free email services such as yahoo.
com or gmail.com, or addresses that have extensions other than .com,
could indicate possible fraud. Scammers almost exclusively use email
addresses from the free providers. A good number of private rental
owners themselves utilize free email addresses, so this is not a strong
indicator of a scam, just one to watch for and measure with other "red
flag" indicators.
Emails that contain poor english or grammar, and poor spelling should
immediately raise your suspicion. A large number of rental scams
originate overseas, primarily in Nigeria, and the perpetrators tend to
have little formal education, especially in English. If the supposed rental
owner claims that he/she is overseas or out of the country and requests
everything to be handled via email, you should be putting a guard up as
this is a strong indicator of potential fraud. Generally, it's that first email
communication you get that the scammer will state they're overseas -
either in the military, on vacation, or even in the midst of a move
overseas.
Watch to see if the name of the person you're dealing with changes
suddenly. Some of these guys operate with a bunch of alias names
and they commonly forget which of those aliases they're using. A
sudden name change in who you're communicating with is a red flag.
If additional communications ask that you send or wire any monies
and/or rental applications to another country, it's about time to walk.
Chances are pretty solid that you're dealing with someone out to take
you. This is one of the biggest red flags that someone may be up to no
good. If at any time you're asked to send money overseas, be very, very
wary. The scammer will generally ask you to wire money to an overseas
account in order to get the keys to the property. In many instances,
they'll mention that they need your money for a security deposit in return
for them sending you the keys. He'll tell you that you can simply return
the keys if you don't like the property, and the security deposit will be
mailed back to you. Only problem - once you wire the money, consider it
gone for good. Oh, and those keys? Obviously they won't work... if you're
ever mailed any.
The scammer may make mention that the home is for sale. Or, you may
even run by the house yourself to check it out and see a "For Sale" sign
in the yard. Don't brush this off. This may be an indicator that the listing
was plucked from a realtor site or homes for sale site. Get online and
google the address to see what you come up with. If you see multiple
listings for the property - both rental and for-sale listings, your guard
should be up.
Recent scams seem to have become more brazen in nature. These
scams are the ones that are being perpetrated by scammers here in
the U.S. and go to show that not all scams are originating from
overseas. In fact, scams originating in the U.S. appear to be occurring
with greater frequency. The scammer will actually break into the target
property and pose as the owner. They'll even go so far as to sign a
lease and take monies from unsuspecting victims while posing as a
legitimate landlord. It's not uncommon for this stunt to be pulled using
one property with numerous people falling as victims trying to rent that
same property.
Many people are being taken by these scams. Can you imagine having
mailed off security deposit monies, packing your belongings up and
then jumping in your car to begin an exciting move into your new home.
You get there, unload your goods and furnishings, and sit down for a
brief minute to relax. The doorbell rings and you go to answer it. Some
guy appears and he's not happy! It's the real owner of the property
asking what the hell you're doing in his property. Don't think it can't
happen to you. This scene is being played out all across America. Be
vigilant. Take your time, take your house hunting seriously, and be very
precautionary while seeking a new place to live. Always remember to
use the old "sniff test". If something looks or sounds too good to be
true, it likely is.
SPOTTING A SCAM - "RED FLAGS" THAT INDICATE A LISTING MIGHT
BE FRAUD
There are a number of things to watch for that might indicate a listing is
not real. Let's take a look at some of those.
1. Can't personally talk to the property manager or owner.
In a large number of the rental scams, you won't be able to personally
speak with the property owner or manager. Instead, most of the
communication takes place with you via email. In many cases, the
listing may not even have a contact phone number - just an email
address as a way of communicating with the purported owner. If a
phone number is provided, it will always go to an answering machine,
and subsequent correspondence from the ad poster will be through
email, not a return phone call. Recent (2010) cases involve the use of
relay services as primary contact phone numbers for the fraud
perpetrator. Relay services are intended to be used by someone who
may be deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled. Consider this one of
those red flags. If you call the contact number and are greeted by an
operator for some relay service asking you what message you'd like to
leave, be wary.
2. The purported property owner or manager is unable to meet you at
the property for showings.
The scammers never seem to be able to meet in person. Instead,
they're always "out of the country" on business, on vacation, or serving
military duty. They'll want to conduct all business over the Internet, via
email. It's not uncommon for a legitimate property owner or landlord to
ask you to go by a prospective rental property and see if it might be
something that will pique your interest. However, your guard should be
up if you're told that you need to mail off a security deposit before you
get the keys mailed to you for checking out the interior.
3. Poor grammar, poor punctuation, and wording in communications
that just don't sound right or make sense.
Everyone goofs in their spelling and wording from time-to-time. But
when you're getting emails from a purported rental owner that's riddled
with these strange-sounding sentences, it's time to put your guard back
up. As a large number of rental scams originate overseas, primarily in
Nigeria, the perpetrators tend to have little formal education, especially
in English. Emails that appear to have been written by someone who is
not a native English-speaker, should send up a red flag. Here's a
sample sentence taken from a scammer's email that was sent to an
unsuspecting renter:
After receiving the keys and you are not okay with the house, your
money is refundable, and our keys should not spent upto 5days with
you, before posting it back to us, otherwise, we will agree that you are
okay with the house.
Take note of the poor grammar and how it appears to have been written
by someone that doesn't really have a good grasp of the English
language.
4. Communication with the purported property owner involves differing
contact names
If you're communicating with what appears to be the property owner via
email, and the name of that contact changes, time to put that guard up.
For example, you see a rental listing that's of interest and you email the
owner. Let's say his name is Mark Landry. Subsequent emails from
the rental poster then originate from a different name - say Jim Pardo.
This might indicate a scam, especially if the original primary contact (in
this case Mark Landry), hadn't indicated to you at some point that he
was going to have one of his assistants work with you as well.
5. The rental property is listed way under comparable properties in the
same neighborhood.
In an effort to generate a large amount of interest in the scam rental
posting, the fraudster will generally list the rental at a rate that is
significantly undercutting rental rates for the same type of property in the
same general area or neighborhood. In many instances, the rent rate
is posted at a rate that's half the price of other rental listings in that
same geographic area. This is not to say that a legitimate landlord may
be running some sort of good deal on a rental. That may very well be
the case. But many, many times, the old addage "if it sounds too good
to be true, it likely is", comes into play. If you see an outrageously low
rent rate on a property, your guard should be up.
6. You're asked to transfer money overseas.
This is one of the biggest red flags that someone may be up to no
good. If at any time you're asked to send money overseas, be very, very
wary. The scammer will generally ask you to wire money to an
overseas account in order to get the keys to the property. In many
instances, they'll mention that they need your money for a security
deposit in return for them sending you the keys. The scammer will
additionally mention that you can simply return the keys if you don't like
the property, and the security deposit will be mailed back to you. Only
problem - once you wire the money, consider it gone for good. Oh, and
those keys? Obviously they won't work if you're ever mailed any.
There are numerous indicators that should tip you off that you might be
dealing with someone that's up to no good. The majority of these red
flags will present themselves in the email communication that you
receive from the supposed property owner or manager. Take note of
these indicators. An astonishingly large number of people are being
taken advantage of by these scams. If at any time you suspect that you
might be dealing with a potential scam artist, don't hesitate to take
some time and be sure you're fully comfortable with any transaction that
you might be about to enter. Use county tax assessor and auditor
websites to verify the actual owners of properties. Don't be afraid to
"call out" potential fraudsters by asking them to personally meet you at
the property to conduct business. Never transfer any monies or divulge
any personal identification information until you are fully comfortable
that you are dealing with a reputable person. As with any potential
business transaction, if you at any time think that it's too good to be true,
go with your gut feeling, as it likely is too good to be true!