CARBONDALE – A scam involving false apartment rental websites has been reported in Carbondale.
Carbondale Police say the scammers will try to get the victim’s personal information by using images taken from legitimate rental housing property listings.
The scammers add a link that takes you to their website, where you will be asked for personal identification information and/or charged with application or background check fees.
The victim may be asked to pay in an unusual manner, such as a wire transfer, via cryptocurrency, or gift cards. The victim later learns the listing was a scam.
Many legitimate property owners contract with third-part entities such as Zillow or Apartment.com to pay for the application and background checks of interested renters.
Police encourage anyone looking for housing to be cautious when seeking property and to avoid sites that charge fees up front or have offers that seem too good to be true.
Anyone interested in buying or renting property is strongly encouraged to visit the property prior to providing information, signing a lease, or offering any payment.
