Craigslist scammer seeking 'very neat freak' for Cedar Rapids rental home

Police are issuing another warning to prospective renters who use the popular website Craigslist.com.

Cedar Rapids police have received a handful of reports since this spring, with the scammers advertising bogus properties. Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said most of the victims have lost their deposits, which are often more than $500.

One man moved to Cedar Rapids from out of state and realized the rental property he paid for is already occupied, police said. The landlord had no idea who he was.

Police in Cedar Rapids take a report, but aren't able to pursue the case aggressively because the scammers are out of state. Federal authorities don't usually take on the cases, Hamblin said.

“There is very little police can actually do,” Hamblin said.

Krystin Allen, 24, of Cedar Rapids, said she nearly became a victim of a scam just a couple weeks ago. As she was searching for a home, she found a nice two-bedroom rental house on the 19

^th

Avenue SW. It seemed like a steal for $500 per month, she said.

“It looked just like any other rental ad,” Allen said. “It had a couple pictures down at the bottom.”

Allen e-mailed the contact, and got a response almost immediately. The man wrote that he had recently moved to Manchester, and would not be able to meet at the property. He said if she liked the place, he would e-mail her the lease and send her the keys via courier. All she had to do was wire him $1,000 – the first month's rent and another $500 for a deposit.

“He said why don't you go over and peek in the windows and see what you think,” Allen said.

By that time, Allen was already suspicious. Her mother and a friend had been scammed before. When she did an Internet search for the address, she found another ad on a local property manager's website. The phone numbers on the two listings did not match.

Allen contacted the actual local owners, Keith and Susan Smith of Marion-based Mission Builder Property Management. Susan Smith said they discovered about five of their ads being used by scammers last spring.

“These scammers will take the photos I have posted, and the text, and repost the listing for, say, half the price,” Smith said.

Smith sent a few messages to the scammers, acting like she wanted to rent the property that was really their own. One response, in broken English, said not to bother calling any number on the sign in front of the property, because it belongs to the previous agent, who does not have access to the house anymore.

“All We requires is a God fearing and responsible family and very neat freak Whom will treat our home with utmost care and concern like His/hers own,” the e-mail from the scammer read.

Smith said she now uses an application on her cell phone that has a keyword search to find false listings. The couple also now includes their phone number right on photos of the property, so scammers are forced to crop it, if they want to steal the picture.

Police and landlords strongly recommend against wiring money or sending it though the mail without having met the recipient in person. Public information found at the local assessor's office or housing department about the property may also raise a red flag. Landlords should be able to show the property before any money is exchanged.

Even cautious people could become victims, Smith said.

“People are looking for the best possible housing they can get for their family,” Smith said. “Even if they look at it and think it's too good to be true, they just need a break, and they think this might just be that time.”