Craigslist Housing Scams Come To El Paso
The Internet can be a useful tool when searching for a new home, but scammers have stepped up their game to find new ways to get your money.
It sounds like a great deal: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, vaulted ceilings, and even a two-car garage.
But a good price on online can lure those looking for a new home into making a costly mistake.
Just last week, a property in west El Paso went up in the El Paso Craigslist housing section for what seemed like a good price. The add was full of descriptions, pictures and background on the home.
ABC-7’s Jennifer Myers emailed the Craigslist poster about the property. After a series of emails, text messages and even a phone call, things started to fall apart.
The man who claimed to be the homeowner said he was out of the country on a missions trip and was trying to rent the house while he was away. He was courteous and even accommodating.
At least until she asked for a tour of the property.
“That’s when he told me I had to send him a deposit so that he could send me a key, ” said Myers. “I knew then that something wasn’t right.”
She’s not alone. Viewers on our Facebook site also had similar experiences.
An ABC-7 viewer named Brandy was also house-hunting when a Craigslist scammer tried the same tactics.
“I emailed him for a while, and he claimed to be a military wife whose husband was overseas,” said Brandy. “They needed to rent ‘their’ house so she could go be with him.”
The scammers take listings from Realtor and local listings and then relist them for a better price. They wait for a response from a potential buyer and attempt to get a deposit on a property they don’t even own.
But how does this affect the real owners of the property?
“Of course I was upset. You don’t want people to use your property and use your name and especially the property of your owner for somebody to use it for their own interest,” said the actual property Realtor Nora Dean from Sandy Messer and Associates.
ABC-7 met with Dean about the property listed on Craigslist and showed her the listing that the scammer had pulled from her website to post on other sites.
“People need to be careful not to fall for those traps,” said Dean.
The Craigslist website has a special page devoted to helping users stay safe on the website. Its No. 1 tip is to deal locally with people you can meet in person.
Dean also added that a credible seller won’t ask for money up front. She said that money should only change hands after contracts have been drawn up and signed.
To report a scam, the Federal Trade Commission has a step-by-step process for filing a complaint. You can find that information here or give them a call at 877-FTC-HELP.
