Pub. 4 2019 Issue 2

9 ISSUE 2 2019 Rental Property Scams— WhyDo Scammers Scam? T he scammer intends to collect application fees, security deposits, even rent for a month or two, if they think they can. In the end, they just take off with the money they were able to collect, unbeknownst to the applicants or renters. This is disheartening and a significant setback for you as a prospective applicant as well as an issue for the property management company. Scammers have been doing this for a long time, though. Even when the scammer cannot get into a property, they tell the potential renters that they are out of town, but they should drive by the home, even get out and walk around the property to see if they are interested. The scammer will almost always offer them a great deal on rent. Self-Showing Lockboxes Now with the newer self-showing capabilities, such as Show-mojo and Rently, scammers can work their magic on potential victims more than ever before. Typically, a scam- mer who is focused on the self-showing properties starts with an online scam listing. They bring up the self-showing ability, so the scammer seems credible. The scammer will go Continued on page 10 ManagementOne.com