If you read a Craig’s List ad offering a nicely updated 2,400 square-foot home in a good neighborhood for rent for $900/month, you’d think, “Great deal,” right? And it would be if it was the owner that was making the offer.

Last week I received a call from a confused potential renter wondering why I was listing a house for sale that was also listed for rent on Craig’s List. It soon became evident that I was seeing first-hand a Craig’s List scam that brokers in our office have been alerted about. It works like this. The scammer looks through property listings on-line and identifies a property that would make a desirable rental. They use the listing description and photos to create a Craig’s List ad, offering the property for a believable but very attractive rent. When the prospective renter inquires about the property, usually by email, the scammer claims to be unavailable to meet. In this case, they claimed to be missionaries currently working in Africa. The prospective renter is urged to send a deposit immediately, without further research, since the property will be rented quickly at such an attractive price.

Fortunately, this potential renter did her homework and uncovered the scam. If someone you know is planning to use Craig’s List for locating a rental property, make sure they do their homework too.