Seymour man discovers home used in Facebook Marketplace rental scam

SEYMOUR, Tenn. (WATE) — Jim Bruns’ house is for sale in Sevier County , but prospective buyers came by believing the house was rent-to-own.

With the price of an average home sky-high, and rental costs out of sight, scammers are taking advantage of the situation. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are popular sites for real estate scams. Since every real estate transaction, to either buy or rent a home, involves a significant sum of money, scammers are on the prowl and know how to get the attention of unsuspecting victims.

Jim Bruns’ one-acre piece of property in Seymour includes a big four-car garage and a custom-built 2,000-square-foot modular home. There are two big master bedrooms, two large walk-in closets, and a great room. The two-year home is listed for sale at $400,000 by a local real estate agent.

“A friend sent me a text message and said, ‘Hey stranger, I heard that you got your home up for rent for $900 a month’,” said Bruns. “I called her up and I said, ‘No, what are you talking about?'”

His home was posted on Facebook Marketplace listed as rent-to-own for $900 a month, a too-good-to-be-true price.

“I’ve had people come by the house. I’ve had people contact me. My real estate agent had people contact her about it,” said Bruns.

A profile with the name Christopher Hairston posted the rent-to-own ad. Bruns got in touch, wanting to expose Hairston.

“I told him I was interested in the home, and he responded back and wanted to know when would I want to be willing to move in. I said anywhere between October 1 and November 1,” said Bruns. “He responded and said okay that it would be available for that time and he’d be available for a tour.”

He continued, “He says you have to fill out an application and to fill out the application he wants $50 per person who is going to be living in the house. He wants that paid upfront through different pay sites that you can use before he will send you the application.”

Bruns texted “That didn’t sound right.” But every good scam has a hook, something to get you to bite.

“He said the money is fully refundable,” said Bruns.

His real estate agent Michelle Fellin is familiar with how this online scam works.

“They will take the listing agent’s photos and the listing agent’s descriptions but will remove the listing agent’s contact information and they will put their own contact information,” said Fellin. “I got four different calls on this. I think to your credit doing these types of stories, it really helps public awareness.”

The scammer listed Burns’ house at $900 a month. The way rental prices are today, his place would list for triple that amount.

“Another red flag would be to have a preferred method of communication by text only,” Fellin said. “If they are not willing to talk to you about the home or show you their home, it is more likely a scam.”

Bruns filed a report with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office about the scam. He also notified Facebook Marketplace about Christopher Hairston and the fake listing.

“I’ve learned there are a lot of scammers out there. I’ve learned that people are out to take you any way they can,” said Bruns.

He has decided not to sell his house after all.

We called the number of the person identifying himself as Christopher Hairston and left a message. There’s been no return call. The FBI reported that almost 10,000 people were victims of real estate scams in 2023, losing over $145 million, and those are just the people who reported the incident.

Either buying or renting a home is probably one of your biggest investments. So knowing how to protect yourself from cyber criminals, and being aware of the red flags will give you more “peace of mind” as you head on your real estate journey.

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