Craigslist scam targets potential home renters

As technology improves, criminals keep finding new ways to scam people. Realtors say more and more con artists are trying to take advantage of people looking to buy or rent homes online.

People go to websites like Craigslist to buy everything from movies to furniture. Some even look for places to live using the site.

But, con artists are also using the internet to try to rip off realtors and people who are searching for their dream home.

The chance to rent a house in the heart of North Liberty for only $400 a month caught Kasie Ver Schuure's attention.

“At first I thought it was just a great deal,” she said.

She found the home on Craigslist and emailed the contact person. When Kasie later called the realtor, she learned the house was not for rent. It wasn't even for sale anymore. It was already sold.

“That's exactly what they're trying to do, put it for rent at a low amount so people get excited and send them money,” realtor Daphne Patton said.

Patton logged on to Craigslist and found the con artist had copied and pasted information directly from her own website.

“Lo and behold, there was a picture of my listing and my photos from my camera put right there on Craigslist,” Patton said.

As Kasie looks over her emails today, her anger grows stronger. The scammer wrote lengthy messages that often quoted bible verses.

“He's conning people through Christianity and trying to get people to believe him and give him his money. Who knows how successful he was at it. It's disgusting,” she said.

Realtors say this kind of deception happens all the time. But there's not much they can do to stop it other than report it when they see it.

“It's unbelievable what people are coming up with and I wish they'd put their energy into making money the right way,” Patton said.

Some scams are tougher to spot than others, but as the old saying goes…”If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

It's important to remember that many postings on Craigslist are legitimately put there by realtors. But, you should always call the realtor directly to make sure you're actually talking to a local person.