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Where's the scam part? It's hard to read, but I don't see them saying that they can't afford the rent or need to move in for free etc. If someone wanted to scam you why would they add so much weird info?
Do you think they are testing you to see if you rent to crazy people?
They never ask for the scammy part in the first email. They try to hook you in to find out which people are not savvy to rental scams. If you respond, then they know you are not, and they start in with the scammy parts.
Like "how much is the total move in cost", and then how they have to send a check for extra and have you wire back the difference because their (insert organization here) will only cut one check and it has to cover their moving costs too.
Or how they need to wire you the money, so they need your banking information.
Just because there isn't an actual scam in their initial contact email doesn't mean that there aren't signs that this person is a scammer. There are multiple classic signs that most scammers share. This contact has quite a few of them. "Adding in weird info" is one of those signs.
I'm sure I have probably filtered out a few non-scammers by using this criteria, but if you come across as a scammer, then I don't want you as a tenant, regardless.
I got a few of these when I was renting out rooms this spring - maybe they are looking to hook inexperienced people. Or lonely people who want a fun exiting roommate. Or more...
I rarely get this kind of response renting whole apartments, but it happens.
My pet peeve is people who use apps to respond to any and all apartments in their price range. I've taken to asking for a move in date. #1 to see if they actually read the ad. #2 is to weed out students who are looking for august rentals... in February or march.
Not necessarily scammers but when the first response is "how much does it cost to get in?" I say to myself how much will it cost to get you out. Don't deal with helicopter parents, either.
I do have an apartment building that is pretty cheap. I make a point of saying i'll bring a tax bill if they need to see I'm the owner. It is pretty amazing that in these days and times no one asks for identification for me!
Last edited by creeksitter; 10-18-2016 at 10:28 AM..
I do have an apartment building that is pretty cheap. I make a point of saying i'll bring a tax bill if they need to see I'm the owner. It is pretty amazing that in these days and times no one asks for identification for me!
In 15 years, I've only once had an applicant/tenant ask for proof that I had the right to rent out the property. Only once. But then, our office is a brick and mortar real estate company and we have been around a while, so we have a bit more legitimacy than just some guy who insists everything be emailed and then mails you a key.
I have been renting my 2 condo units for 23 years in the last 2 years I have been using Craigslist. It is a little "wild west" but I have been getting good renters without any problems. I talk with folks and make sure that they understand the area and what my expeditions are. I have had to step on 2 deposits in 23 years. This year, using basically the same pictures and text, cannot keep the ads up. If someone understands what is going on I would appreciate the impute. The address is a little vague but it shows up on most mapping sites......Pinnacle Port
Having been the victim of one Craigslist rental scam (I was trying to rent a place in Australia, but wouldn't be able to see it before I flew over), I've come to know them very well.
I was talking with a scammer when I first moved to Hawaii, too. This poser posted some pictures of his unit on Craigslist, available at a very competitive rate. I spoke on the phone to him and who was allegedly his wife, and both seemed to be very nice people. However, there were a couple of things that flagged this as a scam to me.
Firstly, the owners wouldn't tell me what the address of the unit was as they claimed to own several properties/units on the site and didn't want me sending out friends/relatives to check on the place and annoy their other tenants
Secondly, the owners wanted to meet at a local McDonald's, at which point I'd pay the security deposit and receive the keys to the unit, sight-unseen
I blocked their phone numbers and never looked back!
I live in a fairly small town so I know a lot about the rental market here. Numerous times I've seen ads on CL, recognize the property and know they're not real. It's a big red flag when the rent is about 1/2 of the going rate. I always report it to CL, plus call up the real owner(s) and give them a heads up.
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3 Year User Of Craigslist Cannot Post Ads
