SAN ANGELO, Texas — The San Angelo Police Department issued a warning Wednesday morning letting people know about an online scam making its way through the Concho Valley.
According to the SAPD, the department has been made aware of an online scam regarding rental properties in San Angelo indicating an unknown person(s) using photographs of rental properties already listed online for sale/rent, and using them to create their own false rental posts.
"Over the past couple of weeks we received approximately five to six calls for service regarding a scam with one possible potential victim who actually sent these individuals money," San Angelo Police Department, Public Information Officer, Richard Espinoza said.
The department learned the false posts are drawing in potential renters by showing the rent to be significantly lower than what the original post has the property listed.
"It’s posted on a variety of places whether it be Craigslist or Facebook," Espinoza said.
Officers were made aware the point of contact on the false posts requests a deposit (assorted amounts) to be delivered electronically to them with the agreement that the keys to the property would be mailed to the victim.
After a couple of days, the victim doesn't receive the keys and soon found out they were a victim of the scam.
Here are some ways to tell if a property listing is a potential scam:
- The point of contact doesn't want to meet in person.
- They want you to move in immediately without you ever seeing the property.
- They ask for rent/security deposit without signing a lease.
- The rent/price of the property is to good to be true.
- The listing/post is full of grammar/punctuation errors.
- There is no tenant screening process. (no background/reference check)
- They want you to sign an incomplete lease that doesn't have the necessary information on it.
If there is any doubt regarding a post, please contact the SAPD desk duty officer at 325-481-2696 during regular business hours or the non-emergency dispatch at 325-657-4315 after hours to speak with an officer.
