Spring Hill Police Warns of Home Rental Scams

July 23, 2023 – Officers took a report this week concerning a similar scam to the one below. The victim reported that he found a house for rent through Facebook Marketplace. He received a code from “OpenDoor” after contacting the person on the listing.

The victim was able to enter the house with the code. The victim sent $1200 to the suspect and the suspect sent him a lease agreement to sign. The house is for sale and not for rent. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary when asked to send money via a financial app such as CashApp.

Original post: December, 2021 from SHPD:

Police have taken a couple reports in the last month dealing with home rental scams. Both of these scams originated on Facebook Marketplace. Both rental homes are currently owned by American Homes for Rent. Both victims used the mobile payment app “Zelle” to transfer money to the scammers. Both victims were asked to pay a $100 application fee, a $1,000 deposit, and the first month’s rent. In one case, the scammer gave the victim the key code (self-guided tour) to access the keys to the house. The scammer will email a fake lease. The scammer will also ask for your personal identifying information such as your date of birth and social security number. The “Landlord” will never meet you in person. They will have a built-in excuse of why they can’t. If you send the scammer money, they will come up with other reasons why you need to send them more money until you realize it’s a scam.

Please read this blog post from the Federal Trade Commission to help you avoid a rental scam: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/06/keys-avoiding-home-rental-scams.

If you fall victim to a rental scam, please report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov/) and your local law enforcement agency.