Beware Housing Scams as a Growing Threat

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Your chances of getting scammed go up seemingly every day.

While scams are perpetrated on Americans in every city and state, Florida is a rich target with its older population and growth by the hour. And those who would trick you out of your hard-earned paycheck or your retirement benefits have so many diverse avenues to fool their victims.

The Daily Sun recently printed a story about two people being arrested for scamming a Sarasota County woman out of $12,000 by convincing her she missed jury duty and had to pay a fine.

As evidence of how easy it is to scam someone, consider the alleged scammer was behind bars, serving a seven-year sentence in the Georgia state prison system for involuntary manslaughter. But, according to authorities, he managed to call a woman living in Sarasota County with a smuggled cellphone.

The scammer allegedly impersonated a deputy and told the woman — who was in her 30s and had a nursing license — she was at imminent risk of arrest for missing jury duty. He convinced her to make three transfers to separate accounts totaling $12,000 by the end of the call.

And that's just one of dozens of scams being used on unsuspecting people. The FBI and SCSO have developed 30 cases of similar jury scams in the past few months.

An email from a reader alerted us to Scam Busters, a website and newsletter alerting people to various dangers of being scammed out of money.

Housing or apartment rental scams are big

According to Scam Busters, scammers use the internet to target online platforms where renters look for housing listings. Scammers frequently post fake listings on popular housing websites or specialized rental apps. These listings often seem too good to be true, offering great apartments at unbelievably low rates.

Scammers will use social media to find people looking for rentals and pretend to be real landlords or agents.

We recall a couple who paid thousands to rent a Port Charlotte home a few years ago and actually tried to move in. The person they paid did not own the home.

Fake advertisements are used to target people seeking rental options

These ads often redirect victims to fraudulent websites where personal and financial details are stolen, according to Scam Busters. Easy targets are first-time renters — especially college and/or international students, young business professionals, and people new to renting who often lack experience identifying red flags.

Older adults may also be victims due to their lack of familiarity with online rental processes or just their own trusting nature. If the rent is significantly lower than similar properties in the area, proceed with caution. Scammers often use this tactic to attract victims.

Also, if the "landlord" pressures you to make a quick decision or pay upfront fees without providing proper documentation, it's likely a scam.

Red flags to watch for include:

• Fake leases, insufficient details about the property, or misspellings in legal documents.
• Landlords requesting sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, upfront before showing the property or signing the lease.

Scam Busters says to use online tools like Google or property tax databases to confirm who owns the property. Visit the property in person and don't rush into any deal.

If you have fallen victim to a rental scam, you should report the scam to your local police station and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

And remember, it's always a good idea to use identity theft protection.

There are dozens of other scams to be aware of — like the one where a caller says a relative of yours is in trouble in a distant state or a foreign country.

Just be careful and, most importantly, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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