Swindlers are posing as property owners or leasing agents to bilk prospective renters out of their first and last month’s rent and deposit, the Monterey County District Attorney’s office says.
The scams often involve a legitimate listing posted previously on social media or real estate rental websites, the district attorney’s office said in a statement Friday.
For self-protection, “when you visit the rental location, try to make contact with the current residents, see if the landlord left a physical rental sign with a phone number to call, or look up the location yourself and call the owner/leasing office to verify they have placed an apartment/house up for rent,” prosecutors said.
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“Be extra vigilant of deals that are ‘too good to be true,'” the district attorney’s office said.
Victims of a real estate scam, or with information regarding a potential fraud, should file a complaint with the Monterey County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit using a form at consumercomplaints@co.monterey.ca.us.
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