Officials Warn Public of Online Rental Scam

If you're looking for a new apartment, be careful. The rental scams that were common during the subprime housing crisis a few years back have re-surfaced.

The most recent scam involves "hijacking" a home which is for sale and then listing it at a great rental price through a website such as Craigslist.

According to Truila, the five most common rental scams to watch out for involve:

1. Asking for money before seeing the apartment
2. Having to pay a fee in order to see the real estate listing
3. If the add appears to be copy-and-paste
4. If the landlord claims he's unavailable to meet you at the property
5. If the landlord asks for a non-refundable deposit

Before rolling your eyes and saying, “Well, that could never happen here,” read the story of an Indianapolis family that’s now living in a van because of a rental scam.

The key thing to remember according to legitimate rental agents is, "If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Source: Nextdoor, Trulia, WIBC Indy's News Center

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