Unfortunately there are people in this world who scam other people. We hate it as much as you do.
Our company uses the latest technology to help prevent scammers from using our properties for scams but every now and then, we catch one. If you see any of our properties being used within a scam, Contact Us immediately. The more our community can enforce this together, the less people will be hurt.
Here are some ways we use technology and how you can avoid scams.
Craigslist
In our experience, this is one of the sites with the biggest rental listing scams. It’s common to see a rental property listed for one price, but then you see it on Craigslist for $1,000/mo LESS! This is likely a scam. The scammer will attract you with the price and you fall into their trap. Always do a quick google search of the property address. You should see the same price and same listing company across multiple ads.
Upfront Deposit Fees
We never ask for money unless you have been approved and signed a lease with our company. If you have not signed a lease with our company, we will not be asking you for a deposit and first month rent. If anyone asks you for money without signing a lease, this is a big red flag and likely a scam.
Automated Showings
Automated Showings are new technology that allows prospects to self tour a property by using a lockbox to access a property. The most common lockboxes used are Codeboxes and Rently. If you see one of these lockboxes on a property, this means that you are supposed to have registered for the showing and you will access the lockbox yourself. If there is someone there to meet you and they claim to be the property owner, request to see their Identification. They likely registered for a showing and are pretending to be the property owner.