Craigslist Imposter Hijacks Dallas Real Estate Listing
One of the negatives about living in an on-line real estate world: scam artists can easily grab your home listing and try to collect rent for a house they don’t even own, like on Craig’s List.
In New York last month at the venerable Inman Real Estate Connect, the nation’s leading high tech real estate information conference, we were told that Google and Craig’s List are the two biggest real estate advertising mediums in the world; they give small real estate investors a way to compete for less. I know my son used Craig’s List when he was seeking housing in northern California (and I was terrified). But lately, people are complaining that Craig’s List doesn’t vet their listings well enough and many of the ads are scams trying to lure people into leasing homes or apartments that are not owned by the postulating “landlord” in the hopes that the eager tenant will send off a check. In fact, this has been going on for years and Craig’s List has made Craig Newmark, a former IBM and Bank of America IT expert, a millionaire.
So you can imagine the surprise of one Briarwood homeowner, whose home is listed FOR SALE with Martha and McKamy Tiner of Dave Perry Miller & Associates, when someone posted her home for lease at $900 per month on Craig’s List. (Copy of the posting after jump.)
“They were listing for lease a home they didn’t even own!” she said — yeah, her home!
The scammers copied Tiner’s real estate ad word for word and even showed four of the 14 photos. The homeowner was terrified someone would show up at her doorstep claiming they had paid to lease the home or worse! Thankfully, a friend alerted her sharp agent, Martha Tiner, to the fake listing when they saw a home in Briarwood for lease for $900 a month — too good to be true! The homeowner notified Craig’s List and the listing was removed by Friday afternoon.
But get this: the same homeowner answered an ad on Craig’s List for another lease property, using a fake email, and look at the response she got: Pastor Chris, Warsaw Poland and “cleanliness is next to Godliness?” !!! Do these people just think we are way enormously stupid???
Good day Applicant,
Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house. I am Karen Colbert, the owner of the house you are making enquiry of. Actually I did reside in the house with my family, my husband and my only daughter before and presently we have moved out due to my official job transfer or posting, whatever you may call it, which has now found me in Warsaw, Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent for $900 USD per month (which includes utilities), though i intended selling it off but on a later thought changed my mind and have decided putting it on rent. More so now, I’m currently in Lagos, Nigeria for an international Christian follower’s crusade taking place at the Nigeria national stadium, by one Pastor Chris of the Christ Embassy Ministry.
I want you to understand that I spent a lot on my property that you have requested to rent, so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and would want you to treat it as your own because cleanliness they say is next to Godliness. It is not all about the money to be paid on rent or spent; it is all about a good maintenance culture which I want you to adopt on the property. I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that I would be full of smiles whenever I come and above all, a good, strong and tight relationship between us when I come for a check up. Please one more thing, I wouldn’t like to have any benefit of trust in you because I want to stand in your words that the property would be well taken care of all the time.
I believe you have see how lovely it is if from only the pictures you saw in my posting compare to the 100% comfort to be derived from it as an occupant. Please note than you will only be able to drive by the house for now but can’t have a look at the interior until i have sent the keys and documents of the house to you. Reason because, i couldnt find someone trust worthy to drop the keys with as my call down here was so sudden. I do hope you understand.
It has extremely spacious rooms throughout with lots of big windows…nice and light! New neutral paint and some newer carpet. Very quiet, low traffic area. New fridge (7/07)…I believe it’s absolutely a perfect home for you and your family. Utilities include Water, Trash, Sewer, Gas etc.
Please note that, a deposit payment would be required if accepted to have the property rented.
SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW.
RENT APPLICATION FORM.
FIRST NAME:__________
MIDDLE NAME:__________
LAST NAME:__________
PROFESSION:__________
PHONE: _______________
(CELL)PHONE__________
(WORK)PHONE__________
(HOME)PHONE__________
ARE YOU MARRIED: __________
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE:______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING__________
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING ____________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN ______________
IF YOU HAVE A PET: _________
NAME OF PET: _____________
KIND OF PETS: _____________
HABITS: ___________
DO YOU SMOKE ______________
DO YOU DRINK ______________
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT ____
HOW SOON CAN YOU MAKE THE MOVE IN DEPOSIT ($900) REQUIRED: ____________
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU WISH TO RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE: _______________
Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that I can present it to my family, pray over it (because I consult the Almighty God before making any decision) and if accepted, and then have them stored in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you, please we are giving you all this based on trust and again I will want you to stick to your words, you know that we are very far apart now and only putting everything into God’s hands and hope that you will not let us down.
The house will be available for rent for a period of five and a half years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying there.. Here is my number 011-234-802-736-6566 or +234-011-234-802-736-6566 , I will be expecting to hear from you.
Feel free to call me for more information and arrangements.
God Bless,
Karen
Fake posting for Amherst:
$900 / 3br – This home was updated in 2001 & offers great entertaining
flow!Move In (Dallas TX )
————————————————————————-
——-
Date: 2010-01-28, 8:20AM CST
Reply to: colbertk33@yahoo.com [Errors when replying to ads?]
————————————————————————-
——-
3 br | 2 ba | 1,720 sqft | Apt/Condo/Twnhm
This home was updated in 2001 & offers great entertaining flow. Kitchen
is flexible&opens to living&dining areas. The downstairs master has
ample sized bathroom with separate vanities&storage. The large
landscaped backyard features flagstone patio&BOB privacy fence.
Upstairs includes 2 bdrms & great bath. Other features include hardwood
floors throughout, security cameras, 1st floor utility room, gas cook
top, full sprinklered yard.
Location: 4710 W Amherst Ave, Dallas TX 75209
4710 W Amherst Ave (google map) (yahoo map)
cats are OK – purrr
dogs are OK – wooof
Location: Dallas TX
it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial
interests
PostingID: 1574471528
Awards | Archives | Reprints | Custom Publishing | Jobs | Advertiser's Index
…okay, so apparently at first when I read the beginning of the post, I thought it was someone had beef with this homeowner. After clicking the jump though, they either REALLY hate this homeowner or they have TOO MUCH time on their hands. That is some involved stuff! P.S. “purrr” and “woof” LOL.
I actually looked at this add for your house on Craig’s List. But when I realized it sounded too good to be true, I just kept looking. I was almost scammed by someone with the same story on a listing realrentals.com. I inquired about the availability of the house for lease and they responded back with a very similar story. He started out with very personal information about their beliefs and went on to say they were on a mission trip in London for the next 5 years and wanted to lease the house. They also were going to sale it at first, but re-thought that idea and now just want to lease it for the next five years. When I asked about them having someone here locally to show it to me, that is when I realized something just wasn’t right. They wanted me to wire the deposit, application fee and first month rent, then they would send the keys to me by fedex so I could go and view the house. After telling them I wasn’t comfortable sending that much money for something I hadn’t seen yet. They assured me, if I didn’t like it I would be refunded. Feeling it was a scam, a co-worker told me to reply, saying that my daughter would be in London the next week and could pick up the keys from them and hand over cash…I got no response. But, they didn’t totally give up…I received another email from him about 4-days later asking me if I was still interested. I didn’t respond.
That scam has, unfortunately, been around for a while. I have personally faced it at least a dozen times with the rental properties we own. The axiom about “too good to be true” is always true (especially if you start conversing with a preacher from Nigeria).
A good reason to use a REALTOR, eh?
Uptown/Downtown- Absolutely!! There would be lawsuits left and right without one.
Amen to that Race
Craigs List is like the wild west — the listings are not vetted until after they are up. I ran ito Craig Newmark at Inman in the press room, so I’ll send him this post, see what he says.
Very good weblog, thanks for making it. I was struck by one of these frauds also, I uploaded my report at Craigslist Scam
I concur with what exactly almost everyone has had to talk about, the important matter is to look at the idea from a numerous view (as I can a good number of of the moment). Other than that, you’ve got gotten a quite high-quality weblog right here, maintain up the excellent work.work
OMG, this is happening to me but I can’t seem to get any help!!!! I have reported it to Craigs List a few times. There were 3 adds posted with my name and address… I keep writing Craigs List but they haven’t taken it down. I had to do a police report because people kept stopping by my house all day and night trying to look at it. I am getting pretty desperate because it seems like no agency is willing to help or take down the add. If you have any advice i would really appreciate it…