Local real estate agency warns about rental scams

QUINCY (WGEM) – If you’ve ever searched for an apartment, you know finding a unit that is within your budget can be difficult.

With demand up, local realtors say scammers are preying on residents in the area with fake rental listings.

Sarah Hathaway, the office manager at Prestige Realty in Hannibal, said they have received an uptick in calls from people reporting scammers posing as landlords offering rental properties.

“The scammer will private message them with pictures that they found on the internet somewhere, and say hey I have this rental available, I can get you in real quick, all I need you to do is send me a Walmart Gold Card or some sort of digital, non-traceable money to hold it, ”Hathaway said.

She said a landlord wouldn’t ask for payment with untraceable currency, so that’s a major red flag. Hathaway said she knows victims who have fallen for the scam and lost up to $ 500.

Sheri Neisen the owner of Prestige Realty said they have gotten reports over the past couple of years of these scams, but it has become more frequent.

“With the shortage of housing right now, there is a large demand for rental property. So that’s why we’ve gotten the calls. People are just doing their due diligence and trying to figure out if it’s a legit rental, ”Neisen said.

She urged those who think a property is too good to be true, to reach out to them so that they can provide contact information for local landlords and the property.

Neisen said you can also take as look at the profile of the scammer on their social media and if there’s a lack of posts it might not be legit.

She said it’s important to be aware because people struggling to find housing might not have much money and cannot afford to lose any.

Hathaway said here are some other red flags to watch out for:

If someone messages you over Facebook and their name is misspelled or doesn’t sound real.

They only talk through text and never call.

They say they aren’t available to show you the property and tell you to go check out the property yourself.

And, if you are curious about a listing in your area that sounds too good to be true, you can always call a realtor to double check.

If you do fall for the scam and send money, they recommend contacting your local law enforcement.

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