You’re shopping for a new rental on Craigslist or Hotpads, and
stumble upon a beautiful listing that is asking well below the market
norm – you’re first thought is it’s too good to be true, but at that
price who could resist? If you’ve seen these ads while browsing, usually
cluttered with grammatical mistakes in the property description, you’ve
likely had this same thought. A four bedroom bungalow in Ballard with a
garage and hardwoods for $1,200/month?! Sounds like the deal of a
lifetime in Seattle’s hot rental market. This listing seems too good to
be true, and it certainly is; online rental scammers are thriving in the
cut throat Seattle rental market, so be on the lookout for these
similarities on your quest for the perfect rental. Scammers almost never
list a local phone number, and generally send you an email in response
about an urgent matter that leaves no other choice than to deal with all
transactions long distance.
According to the Seattle Times,
some of those who have fallen for rental scams have lots hundreds and
in some cases thousands of dollars. Sometimes the fake landlord seems to
check out alright, they might even have an email that is listed as the
actual landlord’s name. Do not wire anyone any money, and make sure to
look into the rental company before choosing a rental home. If you’re
interested in Seattle rentals, contact your local real estate agent today.
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