By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos

Spring is in the air, and soon the summer students will be upon us … if you or someone you care about is looking for a rental, watch out for scams.

Lately I’ve been seeing quite a few obvious scam listings on Facebook, like the one below.

These usually stand out because they are always too good to be true. Who in the area would charge that little for a huge house, and also “rent to own”? Note the very generic pictures.

Also if you were to check out the account listing this, you will see it’s an account that just joined the group, has no posts, and is likely a throwaway account just for use by a scammer. They usually have some kind of background story, like “mother is moving into a nursing home”. The link is a shortened URL via bit.ly, a service which takes URLs and shortens them, the actual link is “viewhousing[.]***dosite[.]com” (part of the site is hidden so readers don’t search for it) I did a quick search on the root domain (the part before the .com), and it’s a domain based out of Germany.

One fun thing about these listings is that the poster always turns off commenting, so they don’t have to deal with people asking questions publicly. I like to click the ellipsis at the top of the post and report them to admins as a scam.

This is a great example of a rental scam on Facebook. Just keep in mind if it seems too good to be true, it is:

Example of a scam rental listing on Facebook. Courtesy/Rutherford

Rental scams don’t just pop up on Facebook groups, they can be anywhere online, Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s list, Airbnb, Instagram, etc. Always be cautious when dealing with potential housing deals online.

Another variation of the scam is to list a rental that is an actual house in the area for sale or rent, except the lister is a scammer posing as the owner. These scammers don’t own the property, and will simply take your money and vanish.

How can you avoid getting taken in by a rental scam?

• Watch out for signs a listing is a scam, such as vague messages, low prices, lack of photos, and no contact information;
• Do not communicate with anyone who seems to have a new account with no information on their profile, as this may be a sign it’s a scam;
• Be sure to inspect the property before signing any contracts or handing over money. A red flag is if they refuse to let you see the property in person. If you’re renting remotely you may want to ask to Zoom or Facetime with the person to discuss the listing;
• Watch out for pressure to sign a lease and send money right away, this can be another sign of a scam;
• Be wary of people who are asking for upfront cash payments, or request a payment by wire or money order- payments made via wire/money order are nearly impossible to get back;
• The best way to confirm legitimacy is to use a real estate or property agent to help you find a rental unit.  

Be cautious when making any online rental agreements, and be aware this is a big area for scammers to make a fast buck. As in the included image of a fake Facebook listing, if a rental seems too good to be true, it is probably a scam and should be avoided. Report any listings you find online that you think may be fraudulent to try to help keep others from falling for them.

Stay safe, avoid rental scams, and don’t click that link!

Editor’s note: Rebecca Rutherford works in information technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.