Craigslist has also provided a home for scammers who post listings of terrific-sounding residences that are for rent at very reasonable rates. These scammers usually are either trying to swindle you out of a "fee" for a fictional credit check or they want to steal your identity.
The consumerist.com website has identified five signs that an ad for a rental house is a scam:
* The house sounds wonderful, but there are no photos. There may be legitimate listings that don't post photos or addresses, but generally the practice should raise a red flag.
* The email used by the person who posted the listing does not sound like a person's name. That may be an indicator that it is an auto-generated email account, preferred because they are difficult to trace.
* The ad promises that the owner will pay for an overly generous number of things like lawn care and trash service. They may promise that pets are OK and deposits are low or payable in installments. This type of ad is obviously created to appeal to the maximum number of potential victims.
* There is a promise that bad credit and even a few previous ejections are no problem. That means they are after victims who have little money and are down on their luck.
* They aren't willing to reveal the house's address until you reply to their ad, perhaps by going to a website and filling out a "free credit report." That report's sole purpose is to steal your identity.
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