Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I had a rental listing. I purposely did not post it on Craigslist as the last one I had got hijacked. That person changed the contact information and the price to some ridiculously low rental rate. I think the scammer was trying to get security deposits from potential tenants. When I flagged it on Craigslist and reposted it, the scammer flagged me
So with this new rental, I did not post on Craigslist yet several potential tenants mentioned "my" Craigslist ad. I immediately logged on and saw my listing, 3 of my photos probably taken from the MLS listing and instructions to call "Aubrey". Who the heck is Aubrey!
I conducted the walk through with the new tenant yesterday, I told her agent to stay at home since he was stressing his client out and making the process harder than it should be. I don't begrudged paying the other agent. He didn't even bother getting me the security deposit, he had his client contact me directly to deliver it in person. So when we the potential tenant and I met, she was telling me all the horror stories of how pushy her agent was and the demands he said I was making. Fine - I will just take him out of the equation. We continued to talk and I asked her how she found her agent. She said she contacted him via the Craigslist ad. She said that she was so confused when the ad said to call Aubrey, she saw my real estate sign with my name on it and her agent was named Paul.
Turns out her agent is Aubrey Aubrey is part of his email address He has been creating Craigslist ads to obtain clients! Do you think he violated any ethics or violated any laws? The other agent never claimed that it was his listing but I am positive that the pictures in his ad were the ones I took. I see that he has several "Aubrey ads" still on Craigslist.
The ad is down since he didn't want any more calls. I reported the "scam" to the local police department's cyber crimes division but do you think anyone called me back
I had a rental listing. I purposely did not post it on Craigslist as the last one I had got hijacked. That person changed the contact information and the price to some ridiculously low rental rate. I think the scammer was trying to get security deposits from potential tenants. When I flagged it on Craigslist and reposted it, the scammer flagged me
So with this new rental, I did not post on Craigslist yet several potential tenants mentioned "my" Craigslist ad. I immediately logged on and saw my listing, 3 of my photos probably taken from the MLS listing and instructions to call "Aubrey". Who the heck is Aubrey!
I conducted the walk through with the new tenant yesterday, I told her agent to stay at home since he was stressing his client out and making the process harder than it should be. I don't begrudged paying the other agent. He didn't even bother getting me the security deposit, he had his client contact me directly to deliver it in person. So when we the potential tenant and I met, she was telling me all the horror stories of how pushy her agent was and the demands he said I was making. Fine - I will just take him out of the equation. We continued to talk and I asked her how she found her agent. She said she contacted him via the Craigslist ad. She said that she was so confused when the ad said to call Aubrey, she saw my real estate sign with my name on it and her agent was named Paul.
Turns out her agent is Aubrey Aubrey is part of his email address He has been creating Craigslist ads to obtain clients! Do you think he violated any ethics or violated any laws? The other agent never claimed that it was his listing but I am positive that the pictures in his ad were the ones I took. I see that he has several "Aubrey ads" still on Craigslist.
The ad is down since he didn't want any more calls. I reported the "scam" to the local police department's cyber crimes division but do you think anyone called me back
Get a Craigslist alert for "Aubrey."
When he resurfaces on someone else's listing, notify them of what you know and ask them to file a complaint.
I believe what he is doing is illegal. But rather than the gendarmes, isn't your Department of Real Estate, Real Estate Commission, MLS, etc, in charge of complaints along these lines of agency misrepresentation?
This kind of scam has been going on for a long time....it's shame that CL is getting a bad name because of these scammers.
They scam ppl looking for rentals, ppl trying to sell their cars, ppl trying to find a job...ppl have to be careful when dealing with CL...when it looks too good..it probably is.
Typically the scammer is in Africa. They copy your ad and list it with super low price with their skype number or email. They say they cannot meet the tenant at the house but require a security deposit and first month rent if they want it and will mail them the key. The renter mails it to a local drop box, where a local person will forward the money to Nigeria and take a small cut.
Why not make a bunch of bogus appointments to meet him at different houses? Make him run around a little bit before you report him to the licensing board.
Just to follow-up, I called the GA Real Estate Commission and they informed me that it is illegal to advertise a property without the owner(s) permission. After I heard that, I called my Broker and he will be calling the other agent's Broker informing them that we will not be paying a commission on the lease and filing a dispute with the Real Estate Commission.
I also contacted Craigslist to see if they can send me the old ad. I have the link but the post has been taken down by the "author". I also printed off other Craigslist ads by the same agent and the tenant has already written me a summary of her interactions with the agent.
Wish me luck!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
