Slow for Rental Scams

The original article leads readers to believe that the scam is mostly occurring on the Gulf Coast however feedback after the original story hit “Early Bird” many Florida Real Estate professionals came forward with similar feedback. Below a few additional suggestions have been made that I think would be helpful to educate us all regarding on-going rental scams.

“Donna Fries, a Panama City Beach Realtor, says the scam operates in her area too. She says the fraudulent ad uses the real owner’s name or the Realtor’s name, but a contact method that goes only to the criminals.

She offers the following suggestions for detecting the scam:

• The Craigslist ad is a carbon copy of the original ad with correct spelling, good English and a photo. Follow-up email responses, however, usually have incorrect spelling and awkward English.

• Scammers offer rental prices up to 40 percent below actual value, making it an attractive deal. If potential renters see identical ads in different locations with different prices, the lower-priced one is probably a scam.

• Criminals ask for deposit and rent money to be sent by Western Union or another method that works like cash, and it usually can’t be tracked or refunded.

• Many times, they use a foreign phone calling card that cannot be traced.”

I want to help. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or email me. Have a great day and remember….if your rental seems too good to be true, proceed with extreme caution.

Property Tips

It seems we need to keep an eye out for scams every minute of our lives. Phishing scams, banking scams and now rental scams. The latest scam takes advantage of Annual Renters however it could be applied to bank owned Vacation Rentals as well.
See the article below thanks to Florida Association of Realtors…

“TAMPA, Fla. – July 14, 2009 – Property managers along the Gulf Coast beware: Criminals in the area are lifting rental listings, fraudulently adding their name as a contact, and posting it on Craigslist. The consumer sees a legitimate listing, but then contacts the criminal to request more information. A report has been filed with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department regarding a specific incident in Hernando County. According to the sheriff’s office, criminals have gone to extraordinary means to collect the first month’s rent and a security deposit. In some cases, they have drilled into lockboxes and placed renters in properties. Tenants who pay the criminals then believe they have a legal tenancy. The case has been turned over to investigators with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, though Pasco County law enforcement authorities also remain on the alert for additional incidents. So far, the problem seems limited to the central Gulf Coast area, but it could be duplicated anywhere in the state. If Realtors suspect a similar crime has occurred, they should call the local police or sheriff’s office rather than try to deal with the problem.”

So how do we become educated consumers to be sure we don’t fall into the craigslist or classified advertisement scam?

#1) When speaking with the individual does the opportunity seem to good to be true?
#2) Ask the person listing the property if they are the owner or a property manager.
#2A) If property owner, ask for their full name and go to public records and verify the address is owned by this

Rental Scams

person.
#2B) If it is a property manager ask for their website and call the number on the website and ask for the individual you were speaking with. All property managers these days have a website!
#3) The lister should have plenty of digital photos of the property. Ask for plenty of photos.
#4) If the lister is promoting a vacation rental most would normally have a website. Check out the website.
#5) Most owners participate in a community organization that helps them rent their property like a chamber of commerce. Ask the lister where they participate and call the community organization for more information. Get the phone number from the world wide web NOT the lister! They could give their girlfriends number and after the conversation you would be no wiser.
#6) If all the above ideas get you no where and the lister has reasonable reasons why you cannot follow through on the points above then I would strongly suggest you move on to another property. If you cannot move on, ask very pointed questions about the property. Where is the hot water heater? Where is the electrical panel? Is there a garbage disposal and a dishwasher?

If renting long term NEVER give money prior to walking through the home. Remember if you have upfront concerns regarding the legitimacy of the lister then walking through the property alone with a potential thief is EVEN WORSE. Is your life worth a great deal on an annual rental?

Information

There is no doubt a great deal can be had by going directly with an owner. With a good deal comes risk. Working with a property management company like Island Real Estate certainly limits a tenant’s or vacationers risks.

For more information on Annual Rental properties available on Anna Maria Island and Bradenton, Fl visit Island Real Estate’s Annual rental website.

For more information on Anna Maria Island Vacation Rentals managed by a team of professionals visit Island Real Estate’s website.