Beware of landlord imposters: Richmond police warn against a new costly rental scam

RICHMOND, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Landlords and new renters beware. The Richmond Police Department is warning community members about a costly scam that could leave you temporarily homeless.

A Richmond landlord recently stopped by their apartment complex on Villa Drive for a routine check-in, but police officers said they were greeted with a major surprise.

“They went to check on this property and visit—just kind of a standard for them—and stepped in and realized that there were belongings there in a place that they had not rented out,” said Makenzie Davis, who serves as the police department’s administrative support specialist.

Davis said the tenants soon realized they never encountered the actual landlord. It was a scammer all along. She said the scheme starts with the scammer reaching out to a landlord.

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“The scammer would ask that landlord for access, and if the landlord isn’t in person, they might give them a remote code to view the property like they would anyone else,” Davis noted.

The scammer then relists the property as their own, sharing the same access code with interested tenants.

“They would ask the scammer how to apply and, of course, maybe go through an application process, put down some down payments like first month’s rent, and move in because they have the code to the apartment,” Davis continued.

But the tenants are soon met with major disappointment.

“The scam could range anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500, depending on what that first month’s rent is, as well as any fees that the scammer wants to charge,” Davis said.

Davis said it’s a devastating blow, as victims not only lose a down payment, but also a place to live. She noted that there are several red flags to look out for, saying imposters may only communicate electronically and ask for money through payment apps.

She also said it’s important to monitor prices and location. If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

“You can also check on those Facebook groups and different social media groups to see if anybody in the community has heard about this landlord, this rental agency, and if nobody’s familiar with them, that might be a red flag that something is going on,” Davis explained.

She added that it’s so important to understand the risks involved because it’s possible victims may never get back what they lost from the scammer.

“They’re usually remote and may not be in the area. So, we collect as much information as we can and kind of continue on it, but definitely being careful will help prevent a lot of these situations,” Davis said.

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