Consumer Alert – San Mateo Rent Scam Sightings

Attention Renters, Landlords and Real Estate Agents

This Consumer Alert for all San Mateo renters, landlords and real estate agents.  The Internet is the most efficient and cost-effective medium for advertising products and services ever devised.  But, it has its dark side; it’s also a tool for rent scammers and criminals.

As unemployment climbs and more people lose their homes in foreclosure the demand for rental housing climbs as well.  Rent scams have been around for a long time.  Hard times seem to make it easier for the wicked to prey on the needy and financially challenged.

Watch for San Mateo Rent Scammers on the Internet

Craigslist has made it easy and cheap for landlords to solicit tenants for their vacant units.  The internet has become a great information resource making it the tool of choice for knowledge seekers on virtually any subject or issue.  Granted, some of the information found on the web is of dubious value, but much of it is valuable.  Landlords can quickly search and find standard leases and rental agreements on the Internet that they can use without going through a lawyer or real estate agent.  And, therein lays the opportunity for the rent scammers to explode.  Here’s how it works.

How the San Mateo Rent Scam Game Works

Anyone with a computer can access the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  Realtors enter pictures and descriptions about homes for sale for everyone to see.  It’s very easy for scammers to copy and paste the pictures and descriptions of homes for sale and use that information to create a Craigslist post offering the property for rent.

Watch for Ads for Great Homes at Ridiculously Low Prices

Their ad displays a great home for rent at a ridiculously low price.  The alleged landlord claims to be an out of area owner who cannot personally show you the property.  They don’t want to work with a Realtor or an attorney so they are renting the property at a very low price to get it rented quickly. They don’t have the time and money to travel to the property, so to speed things up they want the prospective renter to fill out a basic rental application and send a check covering security deposit and first month’s rent.  Once they approve the application and the check is cashed, they’ll arrange to have someone meet the “new tenant” at the property to give them the keys.  When the renters show up at the property to get the keys, they see a “for sale” sign on the lawn so they call the telephone number on the sign.

That brings us back to the Realtor who listed the property for sale and put it into the MLS.   The caller must be mistaken – the property is for sale and not for rent – and now the scam begins to unravel.  Of course, the prospective tenant has lost their money.

Are You a Prospective San Mateo Renter? Here’s What to Do

What does this mean for prospective renters?  Stop, Look, Listen and Look Again.  Take some common sense precautions to protect yourself. Here’s what I’d do…

• Do a Google search to find out what you can about the property and alleged owner
  
• Search the Multiple Listing Service via our home search for information
  
• See the property first – at least from the outside
  
• Personally meet with the owner or agent hired to find a tenant
  
• Never mail money without seeing the inside of the property
  
• Don’t provide confidential details before your comfortable that the rental offer is legitimate
  
• If your gut tells you it’s too good to be true, it probably is
  

Exercise Good Judgment when Looking for a San Mateo Rental Property

Neither the internet nor Craigslist is to blame for this kind of fraud.  There have always been people who try to explode others and there always will be.  Exercise good judgment and watch where you step.

Search San Mateo Rentals

Click on the map below to search the MLS for San Mateo condos and houses for rent.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

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