Don't Fall for this Craigslist Scam

An unscrupulous person recently posted photos of one of the homes that I have offered for sale and said that home was their home. They were "out of the country" and were offering the home for rent for the low, low price of $800/month. They just wanted someone to care for the home and weren't really very concerned about the money.

They used the homeowner's name and actual address and posted their home for lease for a far below market price. They even went so far as to set up an email account using the real homeowner's name.

Fortunately I received 3 calls from their ad and was able to discover the ruse. We quickly explained to the interested parties that the house was not for rent. Moreover that the person who posted the ad was not authorized and was claiming false ownership of the home.

From this experience, I have made a list of Signs of a scam on Craigslist:

**Look for someone who claims they are out of the country.
**In this case the scammer was a "pastor serving in Africa".
**Check to see if they are providing an international cell phone number.
**They are not allowing interested parties access to the home.
**Beware if the scam artist asks you to send money claiming they will then send back a package with the keys and further instructions.
**Strange wording and spelling. Incorrect grammar.

If you have other indications of a scam, please post them here. It is beneficial for us to make one another aware!