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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in an Mateo County, California.

November 15, 2021.

APARTMENTS SCAMS

Courtesy AARP

Beware Red Flags of Apartment Rental Scams During the Pandemic.

There is not one easy way to spot scams. But industry experts say it is critical to know the red flags. They include:

*Below-market rent rates.

*Unusual payment methods requested.

*The sender will not meet the targeted tenant in person — and offers a virtual showing of the rental unit only after a lease is signed.

* A listing with grammar or punctuation mistakes.

* A phony landlord with a “dramatic” story. You might be told to drive by the building — but you can’t go in, because the owner is working abroad or is in a faraway place serving in the military or doing missionary work.

* A refusal to speak or video chat, communicating only by text or email.

*A request to wire money, send it via Western Union or MoneyGram or pay with gift cards or bitcoin.

*The funds requested may be described as a security deposit, move-in fee or rent.

* A sense of urgency. Scammers want you to act fast and move in immediately, even if you haven’t seen the premises.

*Some scammers dangle the prospect of heavy interest from other potential tenants.

*A claim of affiliation with Apartments.com or another established site, which could be just another falsehood.

* A hard sell. “Fraudsters are very persistent … they just tend to be a little more aggressive,” says Kelsey Blakely, senior director of online security for Apartments.com. “Once they get a hold of your number, they’ll just be texting you all the time. And it’s like, ‘Hey, what do you think? Want to get this deal going?’”

APARTMENTS.COM

Limited apartment availability is listed at http://www.apartments.com. Apartments.com disclaimer says that it “cannot guarantee that our sites are 100 percent free from false or fraudulent listings.”

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network can help you spot and avoid scams. Sign up for free Watchdog Alerts, review our scam-tracking map, or call our toll-free fraud helpline at 877-908-3360 if you or a loved one suspect you’ve been a victim. http://www.aarp.com.

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