Comments on: Renter Beware: If It’s Too Good to Be True

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:57:02 +0000

I’m certain that about 50% of the rental ads on CL are a similar scam, I’d see the perfect apt, and express my interest, only to get a letter back saying that the owner was now in Europe because her husband died in a car crash, and to put 3mos rent in an escrow, and she’ll come back from Europe on a certain day so we can go to the atty’s office together….blah, blah…

By: Erica

Erica — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:01:47 +0000

Wow, this just happened with my building on the Hill. A guy wrote to our condo board inquiring because the woman, living in London, wanted him to send a deposit first before she’d overnight the key to see the place (the reason: expensive appliances and whatnot). What’s funny is that the writer made our place out to be nicer than it really is!

By: Erica

Erica — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:28:21 +0000

What is most annoying is not the “too good to be true” apartments, it is the ones that are just *slightly* below market rent (say, $1000 for a nice-ish 1BR in Petworth) so that you have no good clue it’s a scammer till you’ve wasted your time in multiple emails and the crazy starts floating to the surface.

It is time for Craigslist to start charging for real estate postings in DC.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:00:59 +0000

There are two well known scammers using this same bit. One is called Vito Rinaggio and the other Paster Gross. I blogged about it at random and was shocked how many others started posting their similar stories.

http://penguinsix.com/2008/07/09/the-rinaggio-apartment-scam/

By: BuzzBee

BuzzBee — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:09:40 +0000

I just stumbled on a (couple) scam(s) via Craigslist yesterday too! The most enticing was for an apt at 733 15th Street, which actually is an apartment complex. However, the asking REAL price is about $3000 more for a two bedroom than the scam listed. The “owner” was asking for $1000 even to get keys to look at the apt. (it was of course going to be “fully refundable” if we didn’t like the place). They referenced Rent.com as the guarantor, but Rent.com assures all it’s patrons that it does not act in that way at all! Awful. And people in DC are always desperate to get the best deal as quickly as possible…that’s why these people are so successful!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:39:51 +0000

I’m wondering if I’ve been contacted by the same people! I also own a condo in 777 7th Street – and I got a letter in the mail about a month ago from a person asking me if I was interested in selling my condo. My dad (who is a realtor and who is also on the mortgage) sent the guy an email – and we never heard back. Very interesting.

By: Mari

Mari — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:49:34 +0000

That’s a shame. I advertise my extra bedroom through Craigslist and I keep to a process that limits the scamming. I get the scam emails, but they never got past the ‘process’. On my end as a landlady I never rent out sight unseen, this is to protect me and the person seeking a place. I miss out on some opportunites but I also miss out on the headache as well.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:49:07 +0000

I had the same traveling in London, need to rent scheme happen to me a few weeks ago. But it was for a two bedroom in DuPont. After I insisted, the guy provided a phone number and it was for somebody in Oregon. When I googled the number, there was an advisory on it and that the same number had been provided for rent scams in NYC and Miami. Seems this person is now making the rounds in DC.

By: Steve701Penn

Steve701Penn — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:50:05 +0000

This is a pretty standard craigslist scam

By: ChewyChomp

ChewyChomp — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:13:19 +0000

Thanks for this post- it is serious. These guys get more and more slick with their tactics. A couple of years ago, I was trying to sell my car online (autotrader), and I almost got suckered into this scam- guy responded to my ad was in London for a business trip and he sent me a check for the car but he could only send me a check which was thousands of dollars more than what my price was. So he wanted me to cash it in for him (after which I would have to send him the remainder- which was ALOT). The result would have left me with owing the bank thousands of dollars since the bank may not be able to confirm the check was counterfeit until I had already withdrawn the difference.

Take the advice of the OP and others on this- don’t risk it!