Bay Area Houses 4 Cash
Postcard marked “property notification” leads to additional red flags.
When a rental listing poses more questions than answers, it may be a fake at best or a scam at worst.
Case in point: This Rentals.com listing for a three-bedroom, two-bath, single-family home in Richmond, Ky. A reader alerted us to the listing and we noticed some red flags:
When TINA.org clicked “for more details” on Rentals.com to confirm the $500 rental price, we were directed to a website that indicated the original listing came from HousesForRent. The HousesForRent listing included a contact number with an 832 area code that TINA.org traced to Houston, Texas. We called that number and left a voicemail for an unnamed “Google subscriber.” We’ll let you know if we hear back.
Rentals.com acknowledges that its website is not devoid of scammers, stating in a consumer alert:
While the majority of listings on Rentals.com are legitimate, please be aware that certain individuals post property rental listings on Rentals.com to scam potential renters.
Consumers should remember that, when it comes to apartment or house hunting, seeing is believing. Don’t give away personal or financial information without visiting the property first.
Find more of our coverage on real estate here.
Our Ad Alerts are not just about false and deceptive marketing issues, but may also be about ads that, although not necessarily deceptive, should be viewed with caution. Ad Alerts can also be about single issues and may not include a comprehensive list of all marketing issues relating to the brand discussed.
Postcard marked “property notification” leads to additional red flags.
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