Craigslist Scams and how they get you and your money!

Aaronrobertson

Redding, CA. has its fair Share of Housing Scams and scammers, How to protect you and your family!

scam signs

Updated 8/6/2021

We have witnessed a massive spike in Craiglist’s housing scams in Shasta County in the past sixty days. We have been made aware of four in the past two weeks. We want to help you avoid having your personal information is stolen or your hard-earned cash goes missing. Let’s review a few situations that we hear have come up recently.


So you are shopping on Craigslist for a rental property. You come across an excellent listing with great-looking photos and a very descriptive listing. You hit the contact button and send off an email to know more about the home. Promptly you receive an email asking what questions you have. The email also explains that the property owner lives out of town, possibly on the other side of the country, and therefore everything will need to be handled by email.


The story will often involve injury, death in the family, or the owner is a missionary and can't return home to handle getting the home rented. Now is the first significant part of the scam. They send a rental application for you to fill out and provide all of your personal information. Social security number and all previous addresses. Some scammers will go as far as to have you send them copies of social security cards, driver's licenses, or birth certificates. Unfortunately, that is just the first part. The second part is they share with you that you are now approved. If you have ever been approved for a home to rent, you know it can be stimulating. Now that they have you all excited, they ask that you mail or overnight the deposit to them so that the deal can be all locked until your move-in date. You rush to get a cashier's check or money order to mail off, so your family has a new place to live. The scammer sends another email to confirm that you mailed the funds, and then they disappear and have your personal information and your money. If you sent them a personal check, they also now have your checking account information.


There are other versions that folks who have been involved with have shared with us. Some run along the lines that the property owner is taking care of a sick parent who is about to die. One version is that they are overseas in the military fighting for us. We have been made aware of another version that references the property owner living on an Oil Derrick, so there is no way for them to come back here to deal with the rental. Most recently, they added a twist. They copied some of our photos in where our sign was present, and the ad said we just let the property management company go, so please disregard the sign in the yard. As you now understand, they have many lies and tricks to be used to gain personal information and money.


How can you protect yourself and your family from being taken advantage of? First and foremost, if the ad sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is. Two weeks ago, we had one of our ads copied, and they were offering a 3/2 bath home at 40% of its listed value, including all utilities. We had many sign calls as many people went to the property to check it out and then noticed a real estate sign in the yard. Many of them called the number on the sign and reached our office and did not end up getting taken advantage of. We did speak with one person that stated that she mailed them along $2400.00 to the scammer. When she called our office, we could hear it in her voice when we shared that we had rented the property a week prior. She was heartbroken to learn that she had been a victim of a housing scheme.


If you are searching on Craigslist and find a property you like that you want to rent, do a quick search for the address to see if you can find multiple listings on Craigslist with different information. Remember that we mentioned that the scammer would steal other listings photos and descriptions. When people call us to bring it to our attention, they have gone back to search for the ad and found ours or a duplicate.

Another great tip, only deal locally. If you are going to rent property directly from the property owner, you should be able to meet them at the property and have an opportunity to go inside and look around. They should have an application for you if you want to apply. Ask where and how your credit will be run. They should be able to answer you right away if there is a delay; they more than likely don’t have a plan. Landlords that manage their rentals most often have that already worked out.

stop sign

If you are dealing with a professional like a property manager or Real Estate agent, ask to see their license card. Every Real Estate agent in California has been issued a pocket card with their license information printed on it. Another way you can check out a Real Estate agent is to visit the California Bureau of Real Estate and search for the person's or companies license to see if it is valid. You might also visit the professional's office. Look online and see if they have been reviewed in the past. If they are a trustworthy company, they should have an internet presence and a few reviews. You can also call a pro, you know. Call a friend in real estate or lending and ask them to review the ad and gain their thoughts. You are also welcome to call us. We will share our thoughts and do our best to help you. We know most of the other Property Management firms in town and tons of the Real Estate agents. Most importantly, do your homework.


My name is Aaron Robertson, and I'm the Co-founder of Authority Property Management with my beautiful wife, Joline Robertson. We have been in property management in the Redding area for over ten years. We are tired of seeing people get taken advantage of. Renting a home or apartment can be stressful enough. Let's all work together so others in our community are not taken advantage of any longer.


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Disclaimer: The content on this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or professional advice. Consult with a qualified professional for specific advice.

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