Scammers are targeting people who are searching for places to rent in the District.
According to D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, renters looking for properties online have been getting ripped off, with some losing thousands of dollars.
“These scams are convincing and can be tricky to spot,” Schwalb’s office said in a statement. “Scammers often use the names of well-known property management companies and use photos taken from legitimate real estate ads or listings.”
The fraud begins with scammers pretending to be landlords or property managers and posting fake ads for houses or apartments that they do not own or are not actually renting out.
The scammers trick renters into sending them money by requesting application fees or security deposits, and then they disappear with the money.
“Don’t send money without seeing the property first,” Schwalb’s office said.
If you cannot see the property yourself, Schwalb’s office recommended getting a friend, family member or co-worker to check it out in-person for you.
“Ask the landlord to do a virtual tour of the property on a video call,” Schwalb’s office said. “If the landlord refuses, this is a red flag.”
Renters are encouraged to call the property management company, ask to speak to a supervisor and confirm with the supervisor that the property is for rent.
One renter in D.C. fell victim to the scam and lost $2,700 this year.
“I initially felt a lot of shame,” said Will, who asked WTOP not to use his last name. “I felt a lot of panic and I was embarrassed about situation.”
According to Will, he communicated on Craigslist with someone who claimed to be a realtor who was working to rent out a condo.
The condo building that was being advertised on Craigslist was real, but the realtor Will was talking with turned out to be a scammer.
Will did not realize there were problems until after he sent the scammer money, through a wire transfer, for a security deposit and the first month’s rent.
“The pictures on the listing seemed very legitimate,” Will said. “The language on the listing seemed legitimate, and the correspondence didn’t really raise red flags.”
Will said he has not been able to get his money back yet, and he is working with federal authorities as they investigate the situation.
Anyone in D.C. who wants to report such a scam can call the city’s attorney general’s consumer protection hotline at 202-442-9828.
You also can submit a complaint online or by email at consumer.protection@dc.gov.
