Beware of rental scams in Miami and Ft Lauderdale!!

Don’t Get Caught in South Florida Real Estate Scams

March 17, 2009

A South Florida teacher lost a $3,000 cash deposit he put down on a rental property when it turns out the supposed owner was a con artist.

The alleged scammer said his name was Luis Torres, and he told renters he owned a home in the 5000 block of Southwest 163rd Court.

The alleged victim, who asked not to be identified, said he saw an ad on Craigslist.com advertising a home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a three-car garage for $1,500 per month. The man said he met Torres at the house twice.

"He showed me the house. He had a key. He knew the floor plans of the house, everything about the house. It was convincing," the alleged victim said.

He said Torres had a copy of a warranty deed to the house, but it turned out it was fake, Local 10's Jeff Weinsier reported.

Click the link below to review the article.

Teacher Loses $3,000 In House Rental Scam - Miami News Story - WPLG Miami

Stories like the above are not just happening in Miami. They are happening in many cities and counties throughout the country. Don’t let it happen to you. Here are a few tips…I hope they are helpful.

How do rental scams work?

With so many foreclosures, short sales and unoccupied houses currently on the market in South Florida, the scam artists have started working hard. They will find an unoccupied property, call the bank or listing agent posing as a fellow Realtor and get the lockbox code to show the property. They will then list the property for rent on Craigs list and many other free online listing services for significantly less than what the property is actually listed at (if it is for sale, they will list it as a rental at a lower price than what is available in the area).

Potential renters will call the “so-called Realtor or landlord” who will have you meet them at the property, talk it up, ask you for first, last and security deposit and write up a fake contract. The locks are changed, they remove the for-sale/for-rent sign and you move in…not realizing that you are living there illegally. Until one day, the true realtor or bank stops by, a neighbor calls them or it is sold. Now, you are out a home to live in and three months worth of rent.

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Don’t Get Caught in South Florida Real Estate Rental Scams

This is even more true in New York City. Be very careful and do your diligence as scams are on the rise. Make sure the person renting really owns the apt.

And make sure they are not being foreclosed upon.