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Have you ever almost fallen for a rental scam? What was the red flag?
Police in Placentia are warning people about rental scammers who are stealing photos from real home listings...then posting them on social media...for way below market price just to lure people in.
Then they'll ask for a deposit before you've even seen the place...and once you send the money, they're gone.
Police say the biggest warning sign is anyone asking for money before you've toured the property in person. A landlord who says, "Send the deposit now because there are other people interested" is basically waving a giant red flag.
What's really wild is that some victims don't realize they've been scammed until they show up ready to move in and find out the home was never actually for rent.
So, if you ever see a rental deal that seems way too good to be true, especially on social media (especially Facebook Marketplace), it's definitely worth doing a little extra homework…
And the scariest part? The house is real. The photos are real. The address is real. The only thing that's fake is the person asking you for money.