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Valley renters scammed by fake listings

Posted at 4:21 PM, Apr 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-20 21:41:48-04
Realtor Susan Frano sells houses, so when she was asked about one of her properties being available for rent she became suspicious.
 
It turned out that a scammer had copied her sales listing and turned it into their rental listing. One renter sent the scammer a $1,900 deposit.
 
The contract came from Team Management, which had a Gilbert address. But we found that the suite number at that address doesn't exist, and there is a legitimate Team Management operating out of Georgia.
 
The owner says his business name was stolen and used for other scams in California and Oregon.
 
Scammers can go by various names, but the warning signs are usually the same:
 
-Landlords who will not meet with you
-Deposits you have to send by wire transfers
-Rent prices that are far below others in the same area.
 
Before renting, look up the owner of the property with the county and deal only with them. If it's a property management company, check them out online. Call the person or company to make sure they are real, and never send money blindly to someone you don't know.
 
Check out the latest scams we're seeing. Sign up for our monthly email newsletter by clicking here.
 
Need my help? Call the Assistance League of Phoenix volunteers at 1-855-323-1515. You can also send me an email, or a video email where you attach a video explaining the problem.
And you can reach me ontwitter or "like" the Let Joe Know Facebook page and tell me about it there.
 
AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!  If you want to be a volunteer and help other consumers, let me know